


Eight, Nine, Ten

by Chelsea Frew (chelseafrew)



Series: The Original Mpreg!Harry [5]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, Graphic Description of Natural Birth, M/M, Mpreg, Mpreg Harry, natural birth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:41:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 27,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22485025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chelseafrew/pseuds/Chelsea%20Frew
Summary: For once, Harry and Louis want to deliberately try to add another baby to the family (as opposed to having one--or two--by accident). They find first that intentionally getting Harry pregnant is easier said than done, then they find out that it's important to be careful what you wish for. Share in the joy as the Tomlinson-Styleses add to their brood yet again.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Series: The Original Mpreg!Harry [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/293579
Comments: 33
Kudos: 132





	Eight, Nine, Ten

**Author's Note:**

> I love writing in this universe, and I use this universe as a writing tool when I get stuck on other stories I'm working on. Therefore, I present this story while already having the next in the series well underway. My thanks to Cori, as always, for the beta and the assurance that this is worthy of sharing. She's the best BFF to ever BFF.
> 
> Please note that the end of the story indicates I finished this in August. I had to wait on editing, then I did not want to interfere with the Mpreg Challenge which posted in the fall. Though it was edited by November, I wanted to post this as a midwinter treat. I am hoping to post the next story in this universe later this year.
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys the story!!

Ten years. It had been ten years since they first began this crazy journey of parenthood. He couldn't quite believe it.

He felt arms wrap around his middle from behind. Melting into Louis' embrace, Harry whispered, "Hi."

"Hi," Louis whispered back. "Are they out?"

In each of the two twin beds in the darkened bedroom, a head of chocolate brown curls was peeking out from under the duvet.

Harry smiled, "They were so exhausted by the day, they passed out before I could finish their bedtime story. How about the others?"

"Izzy took a bit of convincing to go down." That made sense. Their three-and-a-half-year-old was a bundle of constant energy, and she fought bedtime like the devil every night, much less at the end of an incredibly exciting day. "But the party today tired her out a lot."

"And the baby twins?" Harry checked.

"Out like lights the minute their heads hit their pillows." Brighton and Lucy were sixteen months old, and--owing to the party--they had missed their usual midday nap. No wonder they'd fallen asleep so easily.

"Thanks for putting them down and letting me do Lily and Sophie," Harry said with a smile.

"It's been ten years since you gave birth to them," Louis pointed out. "It's a very special occasion."

"I was just thinking that myself," Harry admitted. "I can't quite believe that ten years ago, they were tiny and new."

"Now they're so very old," Louis joked.

Lily turned in her sleep, and Harry backed up, forcing Louis to back up, too. Harry pulled the twins' bedroom door toward him, leaving it just a sliver open. They always liked to be able to hear the girls if they were distressed in the night.

Harry turned to face Louis. "I want another."

Brow wrinkled in confusion, Louis inquired, "Another what?"

"Another baby," Harry clarified, unconsciously moving a hand to his stomach.

Louis's eyebrows shot toward his hairline. "Really? I seem to remember you saying when Lucy and Brighton were born that you didn't know if you wanted to have any more. You said five was a good number, if I recall correctly."

"That was said in a haze of pain," Harry insisted. "Now that Lucy and Brighton are getting bigger, I miss having a baby in the house."

"Me, too," Louis easily agreed.

"Not only would it give us an even number of kids, it would be another opportunity for a boy," Harry added.

"I have no problem with our tribe of girls," Louis hastened to say.

With a nod, Harry assured him, "I know. But everyone would love a boy."

"They would." Louis met Harry's gaze with intent. "Are you sure you want to be pregnant again, though?"

Harry smiled wistfully. "I love being pregnant. I don't like some of the little things that come along with it, but I have loved growing our family. I think I can handle it one more time. I am only thirty-one."

"What if you're pregnant again and it's another girl?" Louis questioned him.

"I would love her just as much as I love each of the girls we have now," Harry stated firmly.

Louis paused for a brief moment, then a slow smile bloomed on his face. "Then let's do it. Let's try for Baby Number Six."

Harry leaned forward to press a kiss to Louis' lips, adding just a little heat before pulling away. "When do you want to start trying?"

Louis wagged lascivious eyebrows. "All the girls are asleep. I say no time like the present."

"I like the way you think." Harry grabbed his husband's hand and led him down the hallway.

* * *

On the first day of May, just under four weeks since they began trying for a baby in earnest, Harry woke up feeling nauseated. He had been in the master bathroom throwing up for just a few minutes when he felt a cool flannel on the back of his neck.

He rested his head on the toilet seat and sighed. "Mmm. That feels good."

"You poor thing," Louis sympathised.

"Not the most fun way to wake up." As if to emphasize his statement, he emptied just a little bit more of his stomach into the bowl.

When Harry sat back on his haunches again, Louis asked, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"If you're thinking maybe you should go to Tesco for a pregnancy test, then yes," Harry answered wryly.

Louis chuckled. "Will you be okay if I leave for a few?"

"I think I can manage," Harry said. "I can put the big twins in charge of the baby twins if anyone wakes up. I'll just lay on the bed until you get back."

"Let me help you get there," Louis offered.

Harry nodded, then accepted a hand up. He stood still for a moment once he was upright, needing to regain his equilibrium. Once he was sure he was ready to walk, he moved back into the bedroom, Louis right next to him for support.

After Harry was safely tucked under the duvet, Louis pressed a kiss to Harry's temple, sweeping a lock of hair out of the way to do so. "I'll be back soon."

Exhausted from heaving over the toilet bowl, Harry fell asleep before Louis even hit the stairwell to head downstairs. Blessedly, all five of their little ones remained asleep while Louis drove to the Tesco just a few blocks away. The first sounds of the baby twins waking up were coming through the baby monitor just as Louis returned to the house and his and Harry's bedroom, bag of pregnancy tests in hand. It was perfect timing.

Louis set the Tesco bag just inside the bedroom door, intending to let Harry sleep a few minutes longer while he went to sort out Lucy and Brighton. They were both standing up in their side by side cribs, babbling at each other.

"Good morning, darlings!" Louis greeted them. Knowing he was being broadcast into the master bedroom, he kept his voice low.

"Papa!" Brighton chirped.

"Papa!" Lucy echoed her twin.

They had only recently really been saying "Papa" and "Daddy," so Louis still got a little thrill from hearing them call him by name.

Louis got Brighton out of the crib first, then got Lucy out. They toddled after him down the hall to the big twins' room. When Louis peeked in, Lily and Sophie were up, each of them engrossed in their iPads.

"Lils? Soph?" Louis sought their attention.

They both dutifully looked up.

"Hi, Papa," Lily said brightly.

"Girls, Daddy isn't feeling well," Louis explained. "Can you two watch these two for a few minutes while I check on him? I'll get breakfast ready after I do that."

"Sure," Sophie agreed, already scrambling out of bed to grab Brighton. Lily did the same, taking Lucy with her.

"Thanks," Louis told them. "I'm going to go see if Izzy's up, too."

He didn't even need to leave the big twins' room to see that Izzy was up. She was right behind him.

"There you are, peanut," he said, lifting her into his arms and kissing her cheek. "Good morning."

"Morning, Papa," Izzy returned politely.

"Can you stay here with your sisters while I go check on Daddy?" Louis asked.

In answer, Izzy made a run for Sophie's bed, jumping on.

It warmed Louis' heart to see all of his and Harry's girls together. He was beyond excited that they might be adding another baby to their brood.

"I'll be back in just a little while," Louis assured them before heading back to Harry.

Harry was awake now, sitting up in bed, checking his phone. He looked up when Louis came in. "Girls up? I heard you in the babies' room."

"Sorry. I was trying to be quiet." Louis sat down at Harry's side. "You still look pale."

"I still feel like shit. Did you get the tests?"

Louis jumped up to retrieve the bag. "Three of them. Thought we'd just as soon be certain."

"Super." Harry slipped out of bed and took the bag. "I'll go pee on them."

Louis waited on the bed while Harry went to do his business. Harry reappeared a couple minutes later. "They're lined up on the counter. Three minutes and we can check."

They passed the time by checking their mobiles for email and text messages that had come in overnight, though the focus of their attention was sitting on the counter in the next room.

When the alarm went off on Harry's phone, he turned to Louis. "Go get them? Bring them in here so we can check together?"

Louis nodded and went to collect the thin white sticks, careful not to check the indicators on any of them.

After sitting back down next to Harry, Louis pulled in a deep breath, then counted down. "Three, two, one." He flipped the sticks over.

One stick said _No._ One stick said _Not Pregnant._ And one stick displayed a minus sign.

Harry sighed. "I was sure that I was pregnant again. It felt just the same as it did the first three times."

"Guess it's just a garden variety stomach bug." He squeezed Harry around the shoulders. "It'll happen. You're a fertile fella."

Harry chuckled.

"Papa!" Lily screamed from down the hall.

Louis immediately stood up and moved speedily down the hallway. He stopped at the door to Lily and Sophie's room. No explanation was necessary for why Lily had called for him. Izzy was standing in the middle of her sisters' room, throwing up and crying for all she was worth.

It took no Tesco tests and no doctor to conclude that, in fact, Harry did indeed have a garden variety stomach bug. A contagious garden variety stomach bug.

* * *

In late June, Harry had to beg out of a swimming outing with the girls, feeling a little under the weather. He urged Louis to take them anyway. He didn't want the girls to be disappointed, and he could use the alone time to rest.

After the scare in May when Harry had thought he might be pregnant again, he had stocked up on some tests, storing them in a guitar case he knew neither Louis nor the girls would open. He didn't want to get anyone overexcited about the prospect of a new baby. None of the girls knew they were even trying for Baby Number Six. Nor anyone else, for that matter.

When he had gotten pregnant with Isabelle, he had felt like he was under the weather, too, so as soon as Louis and the girls were gone, Harry got out one of the pregnancy tests. Though he didn't really need to, he carefully read the directions, then he peed on the stick, placing it on the counter to do its thing. He set the timer on his phone for three minutes.

He wanted so badly to see a plus sign in the window at the end of the thin white stick. Now that he and Louis had agreed they wanted another baby, he was anxious to get the party started, so to speak.

Half a dozen kids would be a lot, he knew. Five kids was chaos--chaos he loved with all his heart--but the more the merrier. Everyone would love a new baby, and they would manage the extra chaos just fine. After all, there was plenty of love to go around.

When the timer went off, Harry tremulously picked up the stick and turned it over in his hand. His heart sank. In the little window was a minus sign.

He reached to close the toilet seat, then sat down, defeated.

Three times Harry had gotten pregnant by mistake, delivering five healthy baby girls. What on Earth was going on now? Why wasn't he conceiving when they were actively trying? Harry had stopped his birth control, they'd thrown out the condoms, and they were having sex at just about every opportunity they could find. He should be knocked up by now.

With a sigh, he shredded the box the test had come in and wrapped it and the stick up in toilet paper, burying everything at the bottom of the rubbish bin. He didn't want to look at any of it anymore.

Evidence hidden, he trudged downstairs to curl up on the sofa in the lounge.

It was just a couple of hours later that Louis returned with the girls, who were excited to tell Harry all about swimming and their lunch out with Papa. Papa had even splurged for ice cream.

When they had regaled Harry with every detail of their outing, Lily and Sophie were charged to entertain the smaller girls in the playroom. Lily and Sophie's current favourite game was to play school, so they could be heard making plans for a math lesson with Izzy, Brighton, and Lucy.

Louis sat down next to Harry and studiously appraised him. "How are you feeling?"

Harry shrugged. "Not great."

Louis looked at him harder. "It's more than that."

With a sigh, Harry admitted in a low voice, "I thought I might be pregnant."

"Oh," Louis gasped.

"I'm not," Harry was quick to tell him. "I took a test."

Louis reached to take Harry's hand, squeezing tight. "I'm so sorry."

"I don't understand why it's so difficult getting pregnant now," Harry lamented.

"I don't either," Louis returned. "Maybe it's a little like watching a pot boil. We just need to relax and let it happen when it happens."

"Perhaps," Harry said, not completely convinced.

"Look, if you're feeling up to it, let's go see what the five kids we've already got are up to," Louis suggested. "I almost guarantee they'll take your mind off of trying to make another kid."

Harry nodded, pushing himself up from the sofa and followed Louis to the staircase.

Halfway up, Louis turned back to look at Harry. "Definitely ask Lily and Sophie to describe Izzy swimming."

"Why?"

"Trust me. Just ask," Louis insisted.

The thought of what on Earth that could be about successfully pushed conception difficulties to the back of his mind. He just hoped he could keep it there for a while.

* * *

A couple of months had gone by--and summer was almost over--when Harry once again thought he might have fallen pregnant. He woke in the middle of the night feeling nauseated and his stomach roiled.

Slipping out of the bed he shared with a still-sleeping Louis, he made his way as quickly and quietly as he could into the en suite bathroom, flipping on one set of lights on his way in.

He didn't throw up, but he did rest his forehead against the cool porcelain and, when he felt the nausea begin to pass, he ran cool water over a flannel and buried his face in it, which felt kind of amazing.

Once the nausea had subsided, he decided he might as well try another test. It wasn't like he was getting right back to sleep anyhow. He pulled a test from his stash, and peed on the stick before setting the stick on the counter to process.

"Think you might be knocked up?" The sudden intrusion of a voice made Harry jump. He looked up at Louis accusingly. Louis added, "Sorry to scare you."

"'sokay," Harry allowed. "To answer your question, yes. I was feeling a little off, so I thought maybe I might be pregnant this time."

"Can I wait with you?" Louis asked.

Harry nodded. "Of course."

While Harry lowered the toilet cover to sit on, Louis perched on the edge of the bathtub. To pass the time, Louis said, "It's almost Izzy's birthday."

"I can't believe she's going to be four," Harry commented.

"I know, right? She's getting too big. We should discuss what we want to do to celebrate."

Harry smiled softly, "She would love nothing better than a big family party all about her."

"We could invite a few of her friends from nursery, too," Louis added.

"She'd like that, too," Harry predicted.

"We could do a princess theme," Louis suggested. "She is our girly girl."

"That would be fun," Harry agreed, picking up his mobile to stare at the timer. As he did, the timer went off. "The moment of truth."

Louis stood from his seat and pointed to the testing stick. "Do you want to…or should I?"

"Could you?" Harry requested softly.

With a nod, Louis got up to pick up the stick. He sighed. "It's negative." He met Harry's gaze. "I'm so sorry, love."

Harry sighed heavily. "I guess I should have expected that."

"I still think it'll happen eventually," Louis told him, dropping the stick in the trash and sitting back down on the edge of the tub. "We've only been trying five months."

"Maybe we should make an appointment with Dr. Cantor anyway," Harry countered. "Just to make sure there's nothing wrong."

"I don't think there is," Louis insisted, "but if it will get you to relax, then I'm down with that idea."

Harry smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Lou."

"Now, why don't we try to get a little more sleep." Louis stood and offered Harry a hand. "If you're not pregnant, you could be sick, and you need some rest."

Harry allowed Louis to help him up.

As they made their way back into the bedroom, Louis said, "We'll get you pregnant, Haz. We just need to give it some time."

"Then we'll have our half-dozen," Harry commented with a small chuckle.

"Or our half-dozen plus one," Louis corrected. "More of your pregnancies have been twins than singletons."

"Bite your tongue, Tomlinson," Harry commanded. "Bite it hard."

* * *

Dr. Cantor made some time for Louis and Harry just a couple days later. She began by meeting them in her office.

"So, gentlemen, my receptionist made a note that you didn't want to meet because you think Harry may be pregnant again," the doctor began.

Harry shook his head. "Just the opposite, actually. We've been trying to have another baby, but we've been trying since April, and I haven't been able to conceive."

"It's been a little hard to take, since we've managed three times to get Harry pregnant without actively trying," Louis added.

Dr. Cantor nodded. "I can see how this could be very vexing."

"Can you help us?" Harry asked.

"I can try," the doctor answered.

Harry and Louis jointly sighed in relief.

"We can do some tests on both of you, see if there's anything medical keeping you from conceiving," Dr. Cantor explained.

This time, Harry and Louis simultaneously nodded.

"That sounds great," Harry told her.

"You're not the first couple I've seen this happen to," the doctor went on. "I do have to warn you that there may nothing medical going on. It could just be that you're trying too hard."

"That's what I thought might be the problem," Louis said.

Dr. Cantor made a few notes on her tablet before stating, "Well, you never know. It's good to check everything then evaluate from there."

Harry offered her a small smile. "Thanks."

"Let's get started with some samples from both of you," she suggested. "We'll do some scans, then see what we're dealing with."

Louis was taken by one nurse for his tests, and Harry was taken by another. After an hour, they were reunited back in Dr. Cantor's office, sat across from her once again.

"Well, gentlemen, I think we've got everything we need," she told them. "I know you're anxious and want answers, but it will take a couple days for us to process everything. I want you to make an appointment with my receptionist for two days hence. Then go home and try to relax and not think about this. We'll have some answers for you in two days, and we can work from there. All right?"

Louis and Harry nodded simultaneously.

Dr. Cantor stood, then, to shake both of their hands. "I'll see you two soon. And don't forget. Relax."

Neither Louis nor Harry was convinced they would actually be able to relax, but they both vowed to try their best. It was, after all, all they could do. For the moment.

* * *

For the next two days, Louis and Harry tried to keep busy and not think about the results of all the tests they'd taken. Fortunately, having five girls at home meant that keeping busy was pretty easy.

Lily and Sophie both loved dancing, so there were ballet classes to attend. Izzy had done some gymnastics at nursery and adored it, so Harry and Louis had enrolled her in a gymnastics class catering to three- and four-year-olds. Lucy and Brighton had no classes to be taken to, but they were busy bees nonetheless, getting into everything they could reach.

In addition to all of that, it would soon be time to celebrate Izzy's birthday, so Harry set himself the task of starting to get the planning for that underway. She had recently begun being very interested in dinosaurs, so they had switched the theme from princess to prehistoric.

Before they knew it, it was time to head out for their appointment with Dr. Cantor. It was time to find out whether they were psyching themselves out or if there was something physically keeping them from conceiving Baby Number Six.

"Are we being greedy?" Harry asked as Louis pulled the car out of their drive and on to the road.

Louis snapped his head around to give Harry a quick, sharp look. "Greedy? What on Earth made you think of that?"

Harry sighed. "We already have five beautiful kids. Are we greedy for wanting more?"

Steering the car onto the High Street, Louis shook his head. "I absolutely don't think so. We want to add to our family, and I don't think it's wrong to want to do that."

"I'm not in this to try to get a boy," Harry went on, speaking faster than he usually did. "You know that, right? I'd be just as happy if we had another girl."

With his eyes still on the road, Louis reached a hand out to take Harry's. "I feel exactly the same way, babe."

Harry squeezed Louis' hand. "I'm glad."

"It's okay for us to want another baby, Haz," Louis insisted. "All right?"

Harry nodded. "All right."

Not ten minutes later, they pulled into Dr. Cantor's car park. It was the moment of truth.

They had to wait a little while before being called into the doctor's office, and a little while more for her to appear.

Harry and Louis both stood, and she shook both of their hands. "Sorry to make you wait. I had another appointment that took longer than scheduled."

"No worries," Louis told her, sitting back down.

Dr. Cantor picked up a file from the pile on the right side of her desk. "I have your test results right here, and it's exactly as I suspected. Absolutely nothing is medically keeping you from conceiving. Harry, all of your reproductive organs seem to be in good working order, and Louis, your sperm count is in great shape."

"Then why am I not falling pregnant?" Harry asked, confused.

"I'm guessing you're just trying too hard," she replied. "You need to relax, and just let it happen. Perhaps take a mini-break without the kids to recharge."

"That's not a bad idea," Louis mused, gazing over at Harry.

Harry looked over at him and nodded. "Couldn't hurt."

Louis wanted to know, "Is there anything else we can try?"

"You could keep track of Harry's cycle and make sure to have intercourse during his most fertile time," Dr. Cantor proposed.

"We could do that," Louis stated. "I imagine there's an app for that."

"I believe there is," the doctor said. "Other than that, my best suggestion is to relax, relax, relax. You'll likely conceive when you're not trying so hard."

Louis and Harry both offered her grateful smiles. "Thank you," Harry added, standing to shake her hand.

After Louis did the same, Dr. Cantor excused herself to go take care of another patient. Louis and Harry made their way to the elevator and their car.

Once they were buckled in and Louis had started the car, Harry inquired, "Do you really think we could go on a mini-break?"

Louis pulled out onto the small street off the car park. "I don't see why not. I think we can ask either your mum, my mum, or Gemma to take the girls, and we can go someplace warm to just relax."

"And have sex?" Harry concluded with a grin.

"Without being interrupted," Louis confirmed, making the turn onto the High Street, heading toward home. "And the girls will love some Girl Time with either of their Nannys or Auntie Gemma. It's a win-win."

"I can get on my tablet when we get home and see what I can book us," Harry planned.

"I'm already looking forward to the sand and the sea," Louis said. He turned to look at Harry for a brief moment. "Make sure there's sand and the sea wherever we go."

"I think I can make that happen," Harry told him. "I'm already looking forward to it, too."

"You know, the last time we took a kid-free mini-break, we made Brighton and Lucy," Louis pointed out.

Harry chuckled. "I guess you're right."

"Maybe we can make this a repeat," Louis said.

"Maybe we can."

* * *

Gemma and Nanny Anne were thrilled by the prospect of an extended Girls' Weekend with all of Harry and Louis' girls. Harry did some research to see what the best places to visit in early September were. They decided to take long weekend at a resort in the British Virgin Islands. They were promised a private beach, couples massages, and the finest dining they could imagine.

Izzy was a little worried they would miss her birthday, but Harry and Louis assured her that her birthday was two weeks after they returned from their trip. There would be plenty of time to finalise plans and give Izzy the best fourth birthday a girl could wish for--and she didn't even have to share! Besides, Gemma and Nanny Anne had planned so many activities for the girls, there would be no time to worry about birthdays.

Not planning to spend a whole lot of time clothed, Harry and Louis packed light and caught a Lyft to the airport on a cool and rainy Thursday morning. A perfect time to head to the tropics.

Both men felt themselves beginning to relax the moment their left their five girls in the capable hands of their grandmother and aunt (leaving their car there for the women to use).

It had been a while since they'd flown anywhere together without children, so they both appreciated the opportunity to sleep and watch films uninterrupted. Harry even read a little of a book--and he couldn't even remember the last time he'd had time to read something other than a bedtime story. The flight didn't feel long at all.

When they stepped out of the terminal at their destination, the air was warm, and the sun was bright in the sky. It was mid-afternoon, and the car service was waiting to take them to the resort they would call home for the long weekend.

Instead of staying in the main building, Harry had opted to book one of their beach villas. A steward showed them from the lobby to their villa, helping them with their luggage, then he left them to explore their surroundings.

The villa was beautiful, bright and airy, with French doors looking right out onto the beach. The bed was the main attraction of the entire place. It was king-sized, covered in a white duvet, and situated right in the centre of a raised platform, flanked by two bedside tables.

There was a small kitchen set into a corner, with dining tables both inside the villa and out on the patio. A lounging area took up the rest of the villa, with a sofa, a love seat, and an easy chair, all facing a huge television displayed on the wall.

"It's even better than the pictures. This will be an amazing place to stay," Harry remarked, looking in awe at everything around the vacation home.

"If this doesn't inspire us to relax, nothing can," Louis added, grinning widely.

"What should we try first?" Harry wondered aloud.

Louis set down the carry-on he still had slung over his shoulder. "I vote for a nap. What do you think?"

"I think that's a fabulous idea." Harry set his own carry-on down next to Louis'. "We can unpack and eat later."

Louis reached out to take Harry's hand, leading him up onto the platform housing the bed.

They both shed their clothes until they were class in nothing but boxers. They then slid under the soft, snow-white duvet, Louis immediately gathering Harry up into his arms.

"Ahh," Harry sighed contentedly, burrowing his head into a plush down pillow. "Do you think we can pack this bed up to take home?"

Louis chuckled. "It is really amazing, but I don't think it will fit."

With a resigned sigh, Harry intoned, "I guess we'd best enjoy it while we've got it, then."

"I absolutely agree," Louis said. "In as many ways as we can."

It was Harry's turn to chuckle. "Perhaps after our nap we can try out one of those other ways."

"I agree with that, too," Louis told him. "Let's get to our nap, then."

"Anxious to get to those other ways?" Harry asked.

"Shh." Louis pulled him in tighter. "I'm trying to sleep."

As usual, Louis' wish was Harry's command.

* * *

They spent the next five days enjoying being kid-free. They slept in every morning before sharing a leisurely breakfast on the patio of their villa. After that, they spent time either on the beach or by the nearby pool, just reading or chatting while soaking in the sun. They decided to find a different local café for lunch each day, then they would do some sightseeing.

The evenings were for dinner at the finest dining establishments their hotel concierge could recommend. A walk on the beach would serve to work off their rich dinners, then they would retire to their villa for some television or…other more amorous activities.

On their last full day on the island, Louis and Harry didn't sleep in quite as late as they'd been doing. After some leisurely morning sex, they ordered some breakfast. As had become their habit, they sat down at the table on the patio to eat.

It was a beautiful day. There wasn't a cloud in the azure sky, and the sun brightened up everything in its path. The room service waiter set out a spread of eggs, bacon, and toast, plus pots of coffee and tea.

"Mmm," Harry moaned appreciatively around a mouthful of fluffy scrambled eggs. "I'm going to miss these breakfasts when we leave."

"Me, too," Louis agreed, biting off a corner of wheat toast. "After today, it's back to our crazy breakfasts with five energetic and starving girls."

Harry chuckled. "As nice as it's been to be here just with you, I do miss the girls a lot."

Louis agreed with that, as well. "Me, too."

"Do you think they've missed us?" Harry wondered aloud, picking up a piece of bacon and twirling it in his fingers.

"Whilst being spoiled by Nanny Anne and Auntie Gemma?" Louis raised his eyebrows. "I doubt it."

"Good point," Louis allowed.

For a few moments, they simply enjoyed the good food and the spectacular view.

It was Louis who broke the silence. "So, how are you feeling about Baby Number Six?"

Harry took a sip of tea before answering. "You know, I'm feeling a bit more zen about it. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, we have five amazing kids. How are you feeling about it?"

"The same," Louis responded with a small smile.

Harry returned the smile. "So, what should we do with our last day here?"

"Well, I was thinking we shouldn't break from our routine. It's worked so well. Beach, pool, food…sex." Louis' smile turned lascivious.

With a chuckle, Harry said, "I'm completely down with that plan."

"Then let's finish this glorious breakfast and get down to the beach," Louis suggested. "Who knows the next time we'll get to sunbathe without our girls fighting for attention. It could be quite a while."

In answer, Harry picked up his tea in one hand and his fork in the other. His eggs were gone in no time.

* * *

Life became busy when they got home from their trip. School went into full gear for Lily and Sophie, and they put on a big bash for Isabelle's fourth birthday. The baby twins were becoming more and more active, so there was lots to do with them, which Harry and Louis loved trading off on.

There was no time to focus on trying for another baby. Not when there was so much to be done with the kids they already had.

October and November flew by, and the beginning of December brought Gemma's birthday and the need to begin to prep for Brighton, Lucy, and Louis' shared birthday, not to mention Christmas.

Gemma was hosting an adults-only dinner for her big day, and Harry and Louis were hoping the chill evening would offer time to start planning for the two big upcoming events. They were leaving the kids with their uncles Liam and Niall, who had all sorts of fun play in mind. No doubt there would be a big mess when they arrived home; all in a good cause, though.

With their bandmates distracting the girls, Louis and Harry got ready for their evening out.

Harry had pulled out his new favourite blue button-down and a pair of black denim trousers he'd recently rediscovered in his closet. Leftover from his prime Gucci days, Harry had been thrilled to find out they still fit. He'd already worn them a few times, and he was excited for another occasion on which to wear them.

When he went to button them, however, he couldn't. Wrinkling his forehead, he tried again to button the top of the trousers. He could not get them to close. Grunting with frustration, he resituated the waistband, then he made another attempt. Nada.

"What's wrong, love?" Louis asked as he zippered his own trousers.

"They won't button," Harry explained. "I wore these just last week when we went to that thing with Liam."

"Did you have a sneaky big tea?" Louis grinned and grabbed his jacket from the closet.

Harry shook his head. "I didn't even eat anything when I fed the kids."

"Maybe they shrank in the wash," Louis suggested.

With a sigh, Harry nodded. "So sad. I loved those trousers." He moved to the closet and pulled out a khaki pair of trousers that would go just as well with the shirt he'd chosen. Those trousers--newer than the Gucci ones--buttoned up fine.

"Maybe you can get Gucci to send you more," Louis remarked.

Harry moved to the bathroom to brush his hair. "I do still have a couple ins there."

"There you go, then." Louis shoved Harry over at the mirror to run a brush through his own hair. When he was done, he turned to Harry. "All set?"

Harry put down his brush, ran his fingers through his fringe, and nodded. "Let's do this thing."

* * *

The following three weeks passed in a flash. Harry did most of the birthday and Christmas shopping, while Louis took care of arranging a family party for the three Christmas Eve babies (including himself). The girls were all high key excited, even if the baby twins only vaguely understood that it was their birthday.

Louis had arranged for all of their immediate family to attend. The ones who didn't live nearby would stay with them (or at a house they'd rented for the overflow), then they'd be there for all the Christmas Day festivities.

Gemma came early to help set everything up, so Louis and Harry took the opportunity to get into fresh clothes while she was entertaining the girls.

Harry was attempting to do up a pair of grey trousers he'd bought in November, and it was immediately like déjà vu from the night of Gemma's birthday, not to mention a couple similar incidents since. He groaned in frustration, trying desperately to fit the button to the hole, but he couldn't get it.

"Dammit!" he ground out.

Louis looked over from where he was pulling on a red jumper. "Those trousers being stubborn, too?"

"Maybe we need to have someone look at our dryer," Harry commented. "Perhaps it's overheating."

Louis frowned. "But it's not happening with anyone else's clothes."

Harry frowned as well, then his frown grew deeper. "It can't be."

"What can't be?"

"But I haven't been sick," Harry went on as if Louis hadn't spoken.

"What can't be?" Louis repeated.

Harry didn't answer. Instead, he looked upward as he thought back to the last few weeks. "I've been tired, but not sick."

"It's Christmas and Birthday Month, and we have five kids," Louis reminded him. "I'm exhausted, too."

"But your trousers fit," Harry countered, not a little bit accusatory.

"Harry, what is it?" Louis tried to get at the problem again. "What's going on?"

Harry paused for another moment of thought, then blew out a breath. He met Louis' concerned gaze. "I think I might be pregnant."

Louis' jaw dropped. After a moment, he shook his head. "But you haven't been sick!"

"I know!" Harry agreed. "But I don't know how else to explain this." He tugged on the top of his trousers.

"Wait a second." Louis moved to Harry's side. "Take those off."

"Well, clearly, I'm going to have to." Harry set about pushing the trousers off, leaving him standing in just his open emerald green shirt and his black boxers.

Louis stood to Harry's right, positioning himself to get a good look at Harry's side. "Lower your boxers just a little."

Harry did as he was commanded, and the moment he did, Louis gasped. Harry looked down and gasped himself. Trying not to get too excited, he questioned Louis. "It's a bump, isn't it?"

Louis reached a hand out, placing it over the tiny swell of Harry's belly. "I think it is."

As he extended a hand down to cover Louis', a grin slowly grew on Harry's face. When he looked up to meet Louis' gaze again, Harry proclaimed, "We did it."

The grin on Louis' face matched Harry's in brightness. "Baby Number Six."

Harry glanced over at his bedside clock. It was three o'clock p.m. "The Tesco is still open, yeah? Shall I go get a test to be sure? We ran out weeks and weeks ago."

Louis shook his head. "No, I'll go. I'll say we need extra beer."

"Works for me," Harry agreed. Reluctantly, he lifted his hand from where Louis' rested on his belly. "I'll just find myself some trousers that will cover this, then I'll go keep everyone entertained."

After grabbing his shoes from a shelf in the closet, Louis started for the door. "I'll head out. Back soon." He was almost across the threshold when he turned back to look at Harry, smiling widely. "Baby Number sSx. You keep giving me the most awesome birthday presents. I am so spoiled."

"Well, you did help make them," Harry pointed out.

"True."

"Now go," Harry ordered.

As Louis headed down the hall toward the stairs, Harry could hear him singing softly. "Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me!"

* * *

When Louis arrived back with a Tesco bag in his hand, it was at the same time as Anne and Robin were getting there. His own mum and sisters were not far behind. So, sadly, he and Harry had to wait to use the pregnancy test.

The party was a rousing success. Lucy and Brighton were righteously spoiled by their various aunts, uncles, and grandparents, not to mention their parents. They enjoyed a cake that had been made just for them--they didn't have to share that with Papa--and blew out the candles like champions.

Before everyone was ready to call it a night, they made sure to continue the tradition of letting the girls open one Christmas present each. The rule was that each girl got their own moment to open a gift and have everyone oooh and aaah over it. Lily and Sophie were old hats at this ritual, and this was the first year Izzy got what was going on, so they let Lucy and Brighton go first, since they were overexcited. The freshly-turned-two-year-olds played with a couple of their new birthday toys, then, while their older sisters each picked one present to reveal.

Lily and Sophie picked packages which were clearly books, while Izzy opened a new stuffed animal. Louis and Harry were thrilled with these choices, since they knew that they would make bedtime a little easier. Sure enough, once all the other adults called it a night--retiring to either their bedroom or the rented house--Lily and Sophie eagerly went to bed with their new books and Izzy passed out clutching her new stuffed animal with almost no fuss. The baby twins were exhausted by the events of the day and let their dads put them down with just one bedtime song and one bedtime story.

Finally and at last, they had time for the Tesco bag.

Louis took charge of opening the box, then he left Harry to do his thing. When Harry was done, he brought the white stick into the bedroom, where Louis was perched on the edge of the bed, waiting for him.

As Harry set the test face down on a tissue on his night stand, Louis set a timer on his mobile phone for the prescribed three minutes. Then Harry settled in next to Louis to anxiously wait until time was up.

"I can't believe how nervous I am," Harry confessed, reaching for Louis' hand.

"I'm nervous, too," Louis told him. "I mean, I really think you're pregnant, but until that stick is positive and we see Dr. Cantor, I don't think I can take it in. We've been trying so hard this time, I wasn't sure it was going to work."

"Me neither," Harry said. "I was just starting to get used to the idea that it might not happen."

"I was starting to do that, too," Louis revealed. "I'm perfectly happy to stop, though."

Harry paused for a moment of thought as the timer on Louis' phone ticked over to two minutes. Then he asked, "How do you think the girls will react to the thought of another baby?"

"Or babies," Louis added, smirking.

Harry gently backhanded him on his upper arm. "Bite your tongue."

"Just saying…." Louis insisted. Then he went on, "I think they'll be as excited as we are. I'm so happy they all get along and genuinely seem to love each other."

"Me, too," Harry agreed.

"They may be a little disappointed if it's another girl," Louis commented ruefully.

Harry turned serious eyes on him. "Will _you_ be disappointed if it's another girl?"

Louis shook his head decisively. "Not in the least. I love our girls, and I would be more than happy to have an even half-dozen."

With a smile, Harry said, "Good. Me, too."

With nothing left to say, they watched as the timer counted down to zero, the mobile dinging to let them know time was up.

Harry hauled in a deep breath and reached out for the stick. He raised his eyebrows in Louis' direction. "Ready?"

"Ready."

Harry picked the testing stick up and turned it over so he and Louis could see the result at the same time.

 **Pregnant.** The letters were clear as day.

Harry slapped his free hand over his mouth as a grin nearly split Louis' face in half. "It's official, H. Baby Number Six is cooking."

Still gripping the test in his left hand, Harry pressed a kiss to Louis' lips. When they separated, he said, "I'm so excited. I can't believe we did it."

Louis kissed Harry once more. "You are going to have to really work hard next year to top these birthday presents you keep giving me."

Harry chuckled. "I'll start planning it now."

"I look forward to seeing your attempt."

When Harry and Louis simultaneously looked at the clock, it was closing in on ten p.m.

"We should probably get the Santa stuff out, then get to bed," Louis suggested. "I know some little girls who are going to be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow."

With a nod, Harry made his own suggestion. "You get the presents, and I'll get the stockings."

"Works for me." Louis stood and offered Harry a hand to help him up.

Harry took it, but joked, "I'm not quite bumpy enough to need a hand yet. You might want to pace yourself."

"Ha ha."

Walking backwards toward the door, Harry said, "Get a move on, Santa."

Louis pushed himself off the bed. "Give me a break. I'm an old man now."

"An old man who's about to be a papa to six."

Louis couldn't keep another grin from taking over his face. "I can't wait."

* * *

At first, Harry and Louis thought that they didn't want to make their announcement about Harry's pregnancy on Christmas Day. There was already so much going on, and the girls were already in a state of maximum excitement, it seemed a lot to add a new baby to the mix.

Just as predicted, it was five-thirty in the morning when the first little one--Izzy--appeared in their bedroom. Louis managed to coax her into bed with them, then Lily and Sophie joined them around six. Louis told them they needed to wait a little longer before doing downstairs, and allowed them all to watch a movie on his tablet while he and Harry got just a little more sleep.

At six forty-five, the baby monitor let them know that Brighton and Lucy were ready to join the party, so Louis and Harry fetched them, and they all headed downstairs.

They made the girls wait long enough for them to get cups of coffee, then they let the girls open their stockings.

As the girls pulled sweets and tiny toys from their stockings, the other adults who had stayed overnight came downstairs, no doubt lured by the sound of happy children and the smell of strong coffee.

Soon, everyone was sat near the tree. The girls' Nanny Anne and Grandpa Robin and their aunts Gemma, Lottie, and Fizzy all had caffeine--either tea or coffee--and they were ready to open presents. Nanny Jay, Dan, Phoebe, Daisy, Doris, and Ernest would come by later, having decided to do most of their presents at the house Harry and Louis rented for the week.

Lily and Sophie had, several years ago, took on the role of small Santa Clauses. When they figured out that Santa was more an idea than a reality, they decided to keep up the magic for their baby sisters. They passed out the gifts to everyone--one gift for all at a time--announcing proudly who the gift was from, making a special effort if it was for Izzy, Brighton, or Lucy from Santa.

The floor surrounding the tree was full of presents, so it took a while for them to unwrap them all, but the adults had caffeine, and the kids had plenty of energy, so they shared gifts in a leisurely fashion, everyone taking the time to really appreciate each present they received.

By late morning, the lounge was littered with piles of clothes, new toys, new DVDs, new jewellery, and other wonderful items, and trash bags full of wrapping paper, ribbons and bows. Everyone in the lounge was exceedingly happy.

They had barely had time to relax from Round One of Christmas when Round Two arrived.

Nanny Jay and the rest of the Tomlinson crew joined the party and Lily and Sophie got to play Santa once again, passing out the presents from the other side of the family.

Harry and Louis were always awed by the amount of love their girls had. They were surrounded by so many people who wanted nothing but the very best for them and adored showering them with gifts. Fortunately, Harry and Louis worked hard to make sure the girls knew how lucky they were. The couple did not want spoiled children on their hands. And so far, so good.

Before long, Louis, Harry, Robin, and Dan were all carrying out the rubbish while Jay, Anne, and the girls' aunts and Uncle Ernest helped to sort out the toys into neat piles so they could see what they had. Books and clothes were carried upstairs before the younger kids were allowed to play.

As Harry and Louis returned to to their sofa to watch their children tear into all their new toys, Harry and Louis shared a look. A look that said maybe they'd been wrong. They didn't want to wait to share their news. Not one moment longer.

After a nod from Louis, Harry cleared his throat. "Can I have everyone's attention for a moment?"

It took a very long moment for the room to quiet. The girls needed to be prodded to rip their focus from their toys and games.

Once all eyes were on him, Harry cleared his throat again. "We have one more gift to give everyone."

"Something for everybody, Daddy?" Lily checked excitedly.

"Yes," Harry confirmed.

"Is it a vacation?" Sophie guessed. "You and Papa promised us Disney World."

"We did," Harry remembered. "And we'll get there, but this gift isn't a trip."

"Is it a puppy?" Izzy wondered excitedly, jumping up and down. "I promise to walk it and feed it every day."

It was Louis who shook his head. "No puppy. Not yet."

Izzy pouted and sat down in a huff.

Unconsciously, Harry put a hand on his stomach, opening his mouth to speak.

Before he could say anything, though, Gemma piped up. "You're pregnant!"

With widened eyes, Harry met his sister's gaze. "What makes you think that?"

"Look at your hand," Gemma pointed out. "You only do that when you're expecting."

Harry looked down, and he sighed.

"Are you?" Anne asked him, her voice bright with happiness.

A small smile worked its way to Harry's lips, and he nodded. "I am."

There was a brief moment of silence as everyone processed what had just happened. Then there was chaos. Cheers and shouts filled the room, and everyone wanted to hug Harry and Louis all at once.

When every last Styles and Tomlinson (and Tomlinson-Styles) had had their turn with a hug, there was a barrage of questions.

"When are you due?" Jay wanted to know.

Harry shrugged. "Not sure. Probably June, but I haven't been to confirm it with the doctor yet."

"You just did a test?" Lottie inquired.

"Yep." Harry chuckled. "The old-fashioned way."

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Sophie asked brightly.

"We don't know yet, bug," Louis answered.

"We want a boy," Lily ordered, though her fathers knew that was less "we" and more "Lily."

"I expected you would," Harry said, smiling. "I can't make a promise that it will be a boy this time. You understand, right?" He made sure to send her a serious look.

Lily nodded. "I understand."

"It's okay if it's another girl, Daddy," Izzy assured him. "We will love her, too."

"I'm glad, Iz," Harry returned. He set his gaze upon his gathered relatives. "Any more questions?"

"Did you plan this?" Robin questioned.

Harry grinned. "Are you referring to the fact that I've gotten pregnant by accident three times?"

"By happy accident," Louis interjected, just in case their daughters got other ideas.

"Very happy accidents," Harry agreed, gazing fondly at the products of those happy accidents. Then he looked back up at Robin. "To answer your question, yes. We did plan this one. Not the exact timing, but we were trying for another baby."

"Well, congratulations, boys," Anne wished them, raising her cup of coffee. "I think I speak for all of us when I say we're all very excited."

Those of the family who were holding cups or mugs raised them, too. "To Number Six!"

Harry and Louis smiled widely at each other as they grabbed their mugs to join in. "To Number Six!"

* * *

As soon as the holidays were over, Harry scheduled an appointment with Dr. Cantor.

Unsurprisingly, her tests confirmed what the white stick had on Christmas Eve. Harry was pregnant. Once she'd confirmed the diagnosis, the doctor wanted to do an ultrasound.

Having had many an ultrasound, Harry knew just what to do. He got into position on the table and lifted his shirt. While the doctor got the machine in place and put gel on Harry's rounded tummy, Louis positioned himself where he would have a good view of the monitor, taking a hold of Harry's hand.

"So, are you all hoping for a boy this time?" Dr. Cantor asked conversationally.

"Well, the girls really are," Louis replied. "But we'd be just as happy with another girl."

The doctor was quiet for a moment as she studied the monitor, looking for Harry and Louis' newest little one.

Into the silence, Harry added, "We are kind of hoping--well, at least I am--that it's a singleton this time."

"Well…." Dr. Cantor said slowly. "It isn't twins."

Harry let out a relieved sigh, but Louis caught the look on the doctor's face. "What is it? Is everything okay?"

He and Harry held in a breath at the same time.

"Everything looks fine," she was quick to assure them, and they let out their worried breaths. "But while it's not twins, it's also not a singleton."

"What?" Harry squeaked, just overlapping Louis' own, "What?"

"It's triplets," Dr. Cantor stated carefully.

"But that's…three," Harry protested.

"Yes," the doctor confirmed. "Yes, it is."

"Harry's pregnant with triplets?" Louis' tone teetered on the edge of hysteria.

"Three. Three babies." Harry's breathing was shallow as he tried to process exactly what was happening.

Dr. Cantor moved quickly to get glasses of water for both Louis and Harry. They each took a moment to gulp down some water and catch their breath while the doctor waited patiently.

Finally, Louis recovered enough to ask, "Are you sure there's three babies in there?"

Dr. Cantor nodded. She pointed to the monitor, pausing until both Harry and Louis were looking. "You know what the baby looks like in a sac," she reminded them gently. "Here's one, two, three." She pointed out the dark spots with light spots inside that Harry and Louis had seen before, usually two at a time.

"Three," Harry repeated again.

"They're very healthy," Dr. Cantor went on. "I'd say you were about eight weeks along. If you were to go full term you'd be due mid-August. However, triplets are usually three to four weeks early, so I'm guessing you'll deliver in mid-July."

Harry appeared to still be in shock, so Louis made another inquiry. "When will you be able to tell if they're boys or girls?"

"At your sixteen week appointment, if they're being cooperative."

"Louis, three babies," Harry said, eyes a little glazed and desperate.

Louis turned away from the doctor and looked seriously into Harry's eyes, taking both of Harry's hands in his. "It's going to be okay. You can do this."

"Louis, it's three babies. All at once." At least Harry seemed to have mastered the concept of what triplets were.

"I know, love. I know it won't be easy," Louis assured him. "But I'm here every step of the way."

Harry nodded. "I know."

"Now pull in a deep breath," Louis commanded.

Following directions, Harry hauled in a deep breath, then another, then another, all under Louis' watchful eye. Finally, he nodded again. "Okay."

Dr. Cantor chose this moment to add her own reassurances. "It's definitely rare to conceive triplets naturally, but as long as we keep on top of things, I see no reason you can't deliver three healthy babies later this year."

"Have you ever delivered triplets before," Harry questioned her.

She shook her head. "Yours will be my first. I have delivered plenty of twins, though, and there's not a lot of difference beyond a longer delivery and the need for a few more staff in the room to tend to all the babies.

"Now let me print out a picture of your newest little ones," Dr. Cantor said, smiling as she keyed in the command for printing.

Harry took the cloth she handed over for cleaning gel off his belly. As Louis helped him back into a seated position, Harry looked to the doctor. "We've already told our family we're expecting. I sort of assumed that I'd conceived during a holiday last September and just wasn't sick like usual. I thought I was about three and a half months along, judging by the size of my bump. Now that I know I'm only eight weeks, I kinda wish we'd kept the news to ourselves. Is there a chance I could lose the babies?"

"That's a possibility with any pregnancy." Dr. Cantor told him. "You just need to be extra vigilant this time around. Really listen to your body. As you get further along, you'll really need to take it easy. Let Louis do the heavy lifting, literally and figuratively."

"Okay," Harry agreed, looking back at Louis, who nodded.

The doctor handed over two ultrasound photos. "Make an appointment for four weeks from now. And don't hesitate to call me if you have any questions or concerns." She waited for them to acknowledge her statement, then added, "Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Louis said with utmost sincerity.

As Louis helped Harry off the table, he joked, "You better pace yourself there, Lou. I'm not nearly as heavy now as I'm going to get this time."

Louis chuckled.

"Gentlemen, as always, please don't hesitate to call me with any questions or concerns. This is definitely a high-risk pregnancy, so you need to be mindful of that," Dr. Cantor advised them.

Louis and Harry both nodded.

"I'll see you in a month, then." She shook both their hands and exited, leaving the men to put on their jackets to get ready to head out.

After booking their next appointment with Dr. Cantor's receptionist, they walked back to the car, both still in a daze from the news they'd just received.

Once they were in the car, Louis turned it on and got the heat working, but he made no move to leave the car park. Instead, he turned in his seat to face Harry. "Are you okay?"

Harry hauled in a deep breath before answering, "I am. That was just…a big shock."

"I know." Louis reached for Harry's hand. "I meant what I said in there. We're going to make it."

"What are we going to tell people?" Harry inquired.

Louis paused for a moment of thought. "I think for now we should tell people the baby is doing fine. When we get to the end of your first trimester, we can go ahead and break the news. How does that sound?"

"That sounds good," Harry told him. "I just don't want to tell them it's three in case something happens."

"Three," Louis repeated. "I still can't believe we're having three more. At one time."

Harry placed a hand on his belly and sighed. "I only just got my pre-Brighton and Lucy belly back."

"Are you really okay with this?" Louis checked softly. "You know there are other options."

Harry gasped, wide-eyed. "I would never." He gripped his belly tighter. "I know it won't be easy, but I can do it."

Louis smiled. "Of course you can. You are the strongest person I know."

With a small smile, Harry leaned forward to press a kiss to Louis' lips. He then drew in a breath and released it slowly. "Okay, babe. Let's do this."

* * *

When they got home, they assured their babysitters--Nanny Anne and Nanny Jay--that the baby was in great shape. They told Lily, Sophie, and Izzy that they wouldn't know for another two months what gender the baby was. Then they settled in for a month of keeping one of the biggest secrets they had ever had to keep.

It wasn't easy. For one, Harry was still freaking out fairly regularly, and not that Louis wasn't supportive, but even more support would not have gone amiss. For another, because there were three babies inside, Harry's belly was growing a little more quickly than it had in any previous pregnancy. Finally, Louis was simply dying to tell everyone.

Fortunately, there was much to keep them busy, with three of the girls in school--Lily and Sophie proper, Izzy nursery--and the other two requiring all day care. It was midwinter, and they got some snow the kids loved playing in, and there were many fun winter activities to take part in. Not to mention Harry's birthday, which they celebrated with just the girls, nothing fancy.

Before they knew it, it was time for Harry's twelve-week check-up. The doctor did an ultrasound, and she determined that their three little ones were doing just fine. Harry was in great shape, and Dr. Cantor told them it was fairly safe now to let their family and friends know they were expecting three babies.

Harry and Louis decided to tell the girls first. After all, they would be the ones most affected by there being not one, but three babies.

That night, they sat their daughters in a line on the sofa, then sat side by side on the wooden coffee table directly in front of them.

"Is everything okay?" Lily asked, worry lines appearing on her forehead. "Did the doctor say something about the baby?"

"She did," Harry replied, "but it was nothing bad. I promise."

"Is it a boy?" Sophie asked excitedly. She and her sisters all wore hopeful looks.

Louis broke the bad news. "We won't know for another month."

"Then what's going on, Daddy?" Lily wondered aloud.

Louis and Harry had already decided Harry would drop the good news. Even so, Harry still looked over at Louis to check that was still okay. Louis smiled and nodded. "Go ahead," he mouthed.

"Well, girls, it seems Daddy isn't having just one baby," Harry began.

"More twins?" Sophie and Lily simultaneously inquired. Their eyes squinted, making it hard to tell exactly what this idea meant to them.

"Actually, it's triplets," Harry responded. "Three babies."

"Babies!" Brighton tested out the new idea, Lucy immediately copying her.

The other three girls were completely silent. All three pairs of eyes were wide--as if they were suddenly anime characters.

Harry and Louis gave the girls time to think. There was no need to rush them through processing time. They patiently waited, ready to answer their questions.

Lily was the first one to speak. "That's a lot of babies." She used a sober tone she'd inherited directly from Harry.

Louis chuckled, as much at her tone as at her words. "It is. What do you think about that?"

"I'm not sure," she answered honestly.

"You know, I'm still getting used to the idea myself," Harry told her conspiratorially.

"What do you think, Soph?" Louis turned to Lily's twin. Sophie had always been a little more sensitive than Lily, so Louis felt it important to check in with her specifically.

"Three babies will be a lot of work," Sophie commented seriously.

Louis nodded just as seriously. "It is. It's going to be very hard on Daddy both while he's expecting and once the babies get here. But we know you girls will be the best big sisters ever, and you'll help us out."

Sophie nodded. "I'll help, Papa."

With a wide smile, Louis told her, "I'm so glad."

"I'll help, too!" Izzy interjected, never one to be outdone.

"Excellent, Iz," Harry responded.

"When are the babies coming?" Lily wanted to know.

"Well, they're due in August, but the doctor thinks they'll probably come in July," Harry answered. "We have about five months to get ready."

"What if it's three more girls?" Lily inquired.

"Then we'll have eight beautiful young ladies," Harry stated firmly.

Louis shook his head. "Eight. I am definitely still getting used to that idea."

"Me, too," Harry concurred. "I was thinking six would be a good place to stop, no matter whether we got a girl or a boy. I guess God or the universe had other plans."

"Indeed." Louis turned to the girls. "So, you girls are on board?"

All five girls nodded with great enthusiasm, although they were pretty sure Brighton and Lucy didn't really understand what was happening.

"Can we tell Nanny Anne and Nanny Jay?" Sophie asked.

Harry looked to Louis. "You think Skype or in person?"

"Well, your mum did want to do something for your birthday," Louis pointed out. "We could invite her and my mum down for lunch and time with the girls this weekend, and we could tell them then. What do you think?"

"Sounds like a plan." Harry turned his attention back to the small people on the sofa, all watching him with anticipation. "The triplets are our secret until the weekend, okay, girls?"

Lily and Sophie nodded readily.

"Izzy?" Louis checked with their middle baby. "The babies are a secret, okay?"

"Okay, Papa," Izzy agreed with a big grin.

Neither of the men bothered with Lucy and Brighton, as they were too young to think about spilling the news too early.

"Then, ladies and…gentleman," Harry proclaimed dramatically. "We have a plan."

* * *

The grandmothers were excited to get some time with their granddaughters, and they had a fabulous late-birthday spread ready when Harry, Louis, and the girls arrived at Anne's. Robin and Dan were also in attendance, making for a happily full table.

They had barely sat down to eat when Jay opened the conversation. "So, what's the big news, boys?"

"What makes you think there's big news?" Louis aimed for nonchalant.

She smirked. "I've lost count of the number of times you've come for a random visit only to make some kind of announcement."

Louis sighed and looked over at Harry. "I think we're busted."

"We love seeing all of you," Anne was quick to interject. "But there is news, isn't there?"

Harry nodded. "There is. Girls?"

Lily and Sophie grinned as they looked from their Nanny Anne to their Nanny Jay. "We're having three babies!" they announced together.

Simultaneously, Anne and Jay clapped hands over their mouths. Robin's and Dan's eyes grew wide.

Harry had to laugh. "Well, technically, I'm having three babies."

Anne was the first to recover enough to speak. "You're having triplets?"

Harry nodded. "We found out a month ago. Now that I'm into my second trimester, our doctor said it was safe to share the news."

"That's a lot of babies," was Jay's first comment.

"I know, right?" Louis agreed. "That was our first thought, too. Even the girls."

"How are you feeling, Harry?" Anne wanted to know.

"I'm feeling okay," Harry replied, his hand going almost unconsciously to his stomach. "The morning sickness wasn't actually that bad this time, which seems odd, since it's so many babies, but it really wasn't."

"That's good," his mother said, her smile one of relief.

"The babies are well, too?" Jay asked.

Harry fielded this one, too. "They are. Louis, where are the pictures?"

Louis got up to fetch them from where he'd tucked them into their diaper bag. He handed one copy to Anne and the other to his own mum. "There they are."

Anne shook her head as she stared at the picture of her newest grandchildren. "Three. I can't believe there are three of them."

Louis had to laugh. "That's all Harry could say when the doctor told us it was triplets, that there were three."

"Three is a lot," Harry defended himself. "I needed a minute."

With a well-placed hand on Harry's thigh, Louis assured his husband, "You were definitely entitled to a minute. More than a minute."

"Are you getting used to the idea?" Dan jumped into the conversation. "When we found out we were having twins, I had known it was a possibility given Phoebe and Daisy, but it was still a shock to find out there were two babies and not just one."

"I think I'm getting used to it," Harry responded. "I'm trying not to think too far ahead, though. When I do, there's definitely a little panicky feeling at carrying three babies, then what it will be like after they're born."

"It's definitely going to be a lot," Louis said. "I know this will be hard on Harry, but once the babies get here, we'll have wonderful helpers." He looked pointedly across the table at the line of girls taking in the adults conversing.

"Is that us, Papa?" Sophie asked, eyes bright.

Louis nodded surely. "It is. Just like we talked about at home, Daddy and I are counting on all five of you to help."

"We already promised, Papa! We'll help," Lily piped up.

Louis grinned at her enthusiasm, then turned back to his and Harry's parents. "As long as everyone stays on board, I think we'll be good."

"Well, we'll be there to help, too," Anne vowed.

"Absolutely," Jay concurred. "I can't wait to meet the new little ones. Maybe we'll get at least one boy this time."

"Maybe," Harry allowed. "We'll find out in about three weeks. Remember, though, Louis excels at producing girls."

Everyone at the table laughed, including Louis.

"I don't mind if my football team is all girls. Girls kick butt." Louis winked over at his daughters.

His daughters all cheered, causing all the adults to laugh yet again.

Jay stood, then, and held up her glass of water. "Congratulations, Louis and Harry! We're so excited for all of you."

Anne, Robin, and Dan held up their glasses and offered their own congratulations, speaking over each other, all wildly enthusiastic.

Louis and Harry held up their glasses last. Harry returned, "Thank you, thank you. Even though I know it won't be the easiest pregnancy, I'm excited, too."

After everyone sat back down, Anne thought to ask, "So when will these three lovelies be coming to join us?"

"They're due in August," Harry reported, "but the doctor thinks they'll probably come in July."

"That's plenty of time to prepare," Jay said breezily.

"We do have to figure out where to put them," Louis explained.

"We're thinking about putting Izzy in with Brighton and Lucy, then making the freed-up room the triplets'," Harry added.

"That seems reasonable," Anne stated.

"I not sleep with babies," Izzy protested, having followed the part of the conversation where she was mentioned. Smart as a whip, that one.

"You may have to share with your baby sisters for at least a little while," Louis warned her. "Until we figure out a long-term solution."

"You want to share a room with Izzy, Lucy?" Harry asked across the table.

"Yes!" Lucy shouted, causing Brighton to cheer as well.

"See, Iz," Louis addressed their middle child. "They can't wait to share with you."

Izzy eyed him carefully for just a moment, making sure he wasn't taking the piss, then she broke into a grin. "Okay. I'll share. For a bit."

"Good girl," her Nanny Anne praised her. "You're such a big help to your Daddy and your Papa."

"I'm the very best helper," Izzy bragged, repeating something Harry and Louis had told her on many an occasion.

When everyone laughed, Izzy was a bit put out, but she recovered quickly.

"So, was this a drop-in-and-share-the-news-and-go thing or a we-get-some-time-with-our-grandchildren thing?" Jay inquired. Louis was pretty sure he knew which one she was rooting for.

Louis grinned. "We can stay. The girls would love some time with their grandparents. They've been excited about it all week."

"Excellent." Anne stood up. "Maybe we can do some manicures. I got some brand new nail varnish just this week. What do you girls think?"

The girls all cheered as one.

Dan turned to Louis. "We can take in the footie match while the girls get prettied up. Nice and relaxing--unless Man U can't keep it together. What do you say?"

"I say that sounds perfect," Louis answered. He turned to his husband. "H?"

Harry offered him a wide smile, more than happy to take part in a little relaxing. "Bring on the footie."

* * *

The next month saw Harry's bump growing more and more by the day, a sure sign the three babies inside were thriving.

The girls' excitement about the impending additions was tempered by the fact that they weren't coming right away. In no time, they settled back into school and all their late winter activities, Louis taking the lead in chauffeuring them around, since Harry found himself tiring quite easily.

A month and two days after announcing to their families that they were expecting three babies, it was the moment of truth. Time to find out if the babies were girls or boys or some combination of both.

Harry and Louis decided it would be best if they found out alone, not wanting a rebellion in the doctor's office if they brought any of the girls and there wasn't at least one boy in Harry's belly.

After a short spell in the waiting room, Harry and Louis were shown into their usual exam room. Harry got comfortable on the exam table while Louis sat in the closest chair, one in which he was able to grab Harry's hand if needed.

When Dr. Cantor came in--after a nurse had taken Harry's vitals--she shook each man's hand. "How are you both doing?"

"I'm okay," Harry replied. "The babies are growing like crazy, but I'm feeling good."

"And you, Louis?" the doctor asked.

"I'm good. I swing between nervous and excited ten times a day," Louis admitted. "But I'm good."

"Sounds normal for someone expecting three babies at once," Dr. Cantor stated, picking up her ultrasound wand. "So, are you gentlemen ready to find out what the genders of these little ones are?"

Harry settled back on the table, getting into the best position for the scan. As he lifted the bottom of his shirt, he lamented, "I look like I'm seven months pregnant, not four months."

"Three babies take up a lot of space," the doctor reminded him.

"I know," Harry said with a sigh. "I'm just not really looking forward to the size of my stomach when I'm actually seven months."

"You'll be gorgeous," Louis predicted with great confidence.

Harry blushed at the compliment-in-advance.

The doctor squirted the familiar green gel onto Harry's swollen belly. "Ready?"

Harry and Louis both nodded. Harry added, "As ready as we're going to be."

Before touching the wand down, Dr. Cantor inquired, "So, are we hoping for all girls, all boys, or a mix?"

Harry and Louis exchanged a look, then Harry told her, "All healthy babies."

The doctor grinned. "That is an excellent answer." She put her wand down in the gel, beginning to move it around. "Let's see what we have in here."

It took a moment, but soon enough, Dr. Cantor said, "Here's Baby A." She made sure to point this first little one out on the monitor. "Looks like…a girl."

Harry and Louis both nodded. "Another little princess," Louis commented.

After one more moment, the doctor announced, "Here's Baby B. Looks like…another girl."

"And another princess," Harry echoed his husband.

It was not long before Dr. Cantor offered her last pronouncement. "Finally, here's Baby C. Looks like…another girl."

"I wish I'd placed a bet," Harry stated, smiling widely. "I had a feeling it was all girls."

"You okay with that?" Louis checked, looking deep into Harry's eyes.

"I am," Harry assured him. "You?"

"I am," Louis returned. He turned back to the doctor. "Are they identical?"

She nodded. "They do appear to be. You guys are just beating all the odds here. First to conceive triplets naturally, then to have them be identical. Just phenomenal.

"They all look incredibly healthy," the doctor went on. "They're a little smaller than a singleton or even twins would be at this point, but that's normal. Triplets are typically on the small side. Everything else looks good. Would you like to hear some heartbeats?"

"Yes," Louis and Harry replied quickly.

Dr. Cantor did her magic on her machine, and soon the room was filled with the overlapping sound of three speedy heartbeats.

"That's amazing," Louis whispered, shaking his head in awe.

"They sound great," the doctor reported. "Everything looks terrific."

"Is there anything I specially need to do?" Harry wondered aloud.

"Like I've said every other time you've been here in this condition, listen to your body," Dr. Cantor told him. "Eat healthy, exercise while you can, and sleep when you're tired. I know it's hard with five kids at home, but try to take it easy."

"I'll make sure he does," Louis jumped in before Harry could say anything.

"Good," the doctor said. She typed a few commands into her computer, then handed a few ultrasound photos to Louis. "Your newest little girls."

"Thanks." Louis instantly checked the photos out.

Dr. Cantor passed a cloth to Harry to take care of the gel, then he was able to pull his shirt down and take one of the photos from Louis to examine.

"Do either of you have any other questions for me?" the doctor asked.

Louis and Harry both looked up. Louis shook his head, Harry copying him a few seconds later.

Dr. Cantor nodded. "As always, please don't hesitate to call me with any questions or concerns. A triplet pregnancy comes with its own special issues, so if something seems different from your other pregnancies, ring me."

"Oh, I definitely will," Harry informed her. It was nothing she hadn't said at every appointment, but it was reassuring to know she was there for them with all these wacky, non-traditional pregnancies, especially this one.

"Set up an appointment for a month from now," the doctor requested. "Then go home and tell those gorgeous girls of yours that they can expect three new little girls to love this summer."

"That is easier said than done," Louis said ruefully. "They were really hoping for a boy."

Dr. Cantor gave them a small frown. "At least they'll have a little time to get used to the idea."

Louis and Harry both nodded. "Yep," Louis added.

The doctor stood from her stool and offered her hand first to Harry, then to Louis. "I'll see you both in a month."

Once she'd left the exam room, Louis helped Harry off the table. They made their way through the hallways to find the appointment desk and set a date for a month hence. Finally, they got back to their car.

Owing to the chilly weather, Louis turned the heat on when they climbed into the vehicle, but he didn't make any move to put the car into gear. Instead, he turned to look at Harry. With a wry smile, he asked, "So, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking we have to come up with three girl names that we both like." Harry grinned, his dimples popping.

"You're really not surprised, are you?" Louis checked. "That it's three girls."

Harry shook his head. "I'm really not. I think we were meant to raise beautiful little girls, and only beautiful little girls."

Louis chuckled. "Well, I think we've done okay so far. Not a mean girl in the bunch."

"Nope." Harry shook his head. "How are we going to tell the ones we've got it's more girls?"

"How do they say it in America? Rip it off like a band aid," Louis suggested.

With a sigh, Harry nodded. "You're probably right."

"Usually am," Louis bragged, earning a slap on his upper arm.

"Well, maybe we should stop for something special for tea," Harry said. "We can feed them something they love after breaking the news."

"That's my man…. Always knows what to do."

* * *

Once the older kids were home from school and they younger ones home from Gemma's, Louis and Harry sat them down in a row on the sofa in the lounge.

Lily and Sophie immediately knew something was up. It was Lily who asked, "Did you find out whether the babies are girls or boys?"

"We did," Harry answered.

"So…? What are we getting?" Sophie inquired.

"Boys!" Izzy shouted hopefully.

"Is it, Daddy?" Lily questioned, her voice full of hope, her eyes wide as saucers as they gazed up at Harry. "Is it all boys?"

"Well, girls, we did find out the genders of the babies," Harry began, trying to keep the process smooth and easy. "And we found out they're identical. Just as Lily and Sophie and Brighton and Lucy are."

"We're lucky," Louis interjected. "Just like it's special that you twins are identical, it's rare for three babies to be identical."

"If they're identical," Sophie reasoned out loud, "then they're either all girls or all boys."

"You're right," Harry told her. "Clever girl."

"Is it three boys?" Lily asked again, her impatience beginning to show as her eyes shifted from wide to narrow. She looked from Harry to Louis, then back again. There was no doubt what she wanted the answer to be.

Harry loved nothing more than giving his girls what they most desired--all while not spoiling them, of course--but obviously, this was not meant to be. Not this time. "No," he answered simply.

"It's three girls," Louis announced, just in case Harry's word didn't make the news clear.

Harry and Louis watched the girls carefully as they processed the news. A myriad of expressions flashed over their faces, some of them happy ones, some of them not so happy.

The baby twins were almost immediately excited. “Three girls! Three girls!” they cheered in unison. They didn’t really know the difference, only knowing sisters, and they were young enough that it didn’t really matter that more girls were on the way. More females to put on play makeup and dress dolls with.

Izzy was clearly a little disappointed, if the slight wrinkle in her forehead was an indication. She was turning out to be a little bit of a tomboy, and she wouldn’t have minded a boy or two to be rough and tumble with. She loved her little sisters, though, so both Harry and Louis were confident she would be pretty quickly on board.

It was Lily and Sophie they needed to be concerned with. They had three times now been told they were having little sisters, and they truly had wanted a brother—Lily in particular.

“So, Lily, what do you think?” Harry inquired. Might as well bite the bullet and get into whatever Lily was feeling.

Lily sighed the deep sigh of someone who has been grievously wronged. "Why do you keep having girls?"

Neither Harry nor Louis thought it wise to laugh. Instead, Harry answered, "That's just how it's happened. We don't have any choice in the matter."

"I know it's a disappointment," Louis jumped into the conversation. "And it's okay to be disappointed. Daddy and I would have been excited about boys, too. But we're just as excited about having new girls to love."

"You love your sisters, don't you, Lil?" Harry checked.

Lily nodded firmly. All of their girls loved each other fiercely--even when they were fighting.

"Then do you think you might be able to love these sisters?" Harry asked, putting a hand to his bump.

"I guess," was all she could muster at this point.

Harry turned to look at Louis. "I'll take it."

"How about you, Soph?" Louis inquired of Lily's twin.

"I guess so," she echoed her sister.

"Good enough for now," Louis stated.

"But can we have a boy next time?" Sophie requested.

This time, Louis and Harry laughed. They couldn't help it.

* * *

The rest of their immediate families were unsurprised to find out that Harry was carrying three girls. In fact, several members--among them Anne and Lottie--said they would have bet a lot of money it would be girls.

The girls they already had were slowly processing the fact that come summer, they would have three new baby sisters--all at once. Lily and Sophie had experience with multiple babies coming home, as did Izzy, to a lesser extent. It would be a brand new experience for Brighton and Lucy.

The whole family would need to prepare for the challenge of having three tiny people coming home at the same time. This included Harry and Louis. While the girls were most nervous about how they would fit three more bodies into the rooms they had, Harry and Louis were a little more worried about just making it through Harry's pregnancy. A little reading on the internet made the risks apparent, and they knew it was vital to follow all the doctor's orders to have the best chance of three healthy babies.

To get everyone less anxious and more excited, Harry and Louis decided that now that they knew they were on track with three healthy identical girls, it was time to announce to the world that they were--once again--expecting.

One Saturday morning they woke up to a layer of beautiful snow outside. It was a gorgeous late winter treat. First, though, Harry and Louis gathered all the girls in the lounge. At the moment, they all fit on the couch, but their dads were hyper aware that once the triplets came, their kids would no longer all fit on a couch together.

"So, girls," Louis opened, settling himself onto the coffee table opposite them--his usual spot for family meetings. "We have a job today."

"Playing in the snow!" Lily and Sophie cried in unison.

Harry laughed from his seat in an easy chair. Sitting on the coffee table was a big no-no at this point in his pregnancy. "We'll definitely do that today."

"But I'm talking about another job," Louis went on.

"What, Papa?" Lily asked.

"We haven't made an announcement about the new babies yet," Louis explained. "I'm sure all of your fans will want to know you're expecting three sisters."

Lily and Sophie both giggled. "They're _your_ fans, Papa," Sophie said through her laughter.

"And yours, Daddy," Lily added.

"I don't know," Harry countered with a smile. "You guys are pretty popular, too. Whenever we post photos of you girls, people make hundreds of comments about how completely precious you are."

Lily and Sophie both had the grace to blush.

"So, do you guys have any ideas about how we could announce it this time?" Louis wondered aloud.

Louis and Harry gave the girls a few minutes to think. They didn't, obviously, expect Brighton or Lucy to come up with anything, but Lily, Sophie, and Izzy were all great creative thinkers.

Their patience paid off. Louis could just about see a lightbulb come on over Lily's head. She grinned and said, "Could we use the snow to make three baby snowmen? We could stand in a line next to them and say something like 'coming soon.' Would that be good?"

The grins on Louis' and Harry's faces were even wider than Lily's. "That is a fantastic idea," Harry told her. "What do you think, Louis?"

"I think it's perfect," Louis agreed. "Why don't you girls go get into your coats? Hats and gloves, please. And Lil and Soph, please help Brighton and Lucy."

"Okay, Papa," Sophie replied.

Their five girls raced off in search of their winter gear. Louis and Harry followed in a more sedate manner, shrugging on their heavy winter coats before all seven of them headed out to the garden.

Harry and Louis charged Lily, Sophie, and Izzy with making three snowmen while they entertained the baby twins. Fortunately, the snow was perfect for snowman-making, and Brighton and Lucy were more than happy to just let Louis show them how to make snowballs and snow angels while Harry watched.

It wasn't long before the older girls had three snowmen built in a row. Sophie had the bright idea to get three pink caps from the closet inside, setting them atop the heads of the three snowmen, all of whom had small rocks for eyes and smiley mouths. They were ready for their close-up.

"I have another idea!" Sophie shouted. She ran back into the house before anyone could inquire about her brainstorm.

Under Louis' careful supervision, Lily and Izzy joined Brighton and Lucy in a snowball fight away from the snowmen the older girls had built. Harry used the time to set up the tripod for the camera to sit on, making sure the timer was working correctly.

Sophie soon reappeared holding some pieces of cardboard she'd no doubt filched from their recycling pile. "Look!" She held up the first piece of cardboard. It had a giant "#1" written on it. The second read "#2", and the last read "#3".

Harry grinned. "What a great idea!"

Sophie put the cards in front of the snowmen, and they had everything they needed to take the photo.

Louis stood at the end of the line, then left a space for Harry between him and Lily. Sophie was next, then Lily, then Brighton and, finally, Lucy, who got to stand next to the "#1" snowman.

"We really should call it a snowwoman," Lily pointed out. "Since they're standing in for girls."

"You make a good point," Harry told her. "Okay, girls, get your smiles ready."

Harry set the timer for the photo, then scooted into place. "Three, two, one, smile!"

He took two more for good measure, then led everyone inside for hot chocolate and social media posting.

Louis helped get everyone out of their cold weather gear while Harry took charge of the hot cocoa.

Once everyone had steaming mugs in front of them, Harry e-mailed the photos to Louis, and Louis got his tablet out and opened up Instagram.

Everyone got a vote on which picture to use. It was a bit of a discussion, but they ended up using the second picture Harry had taken. The girls all looked super happy, and the photo made both Louis and Harry smile. They would miss when the girls were still willing to just hang out with them. Before too long, their eldest two would be teenagers, and life would change dramatically.

After sizing the picture properly, Louis had to think of just the right caption. He opened the floor (or, in actuality, the kitchen table) for ideas.

"Babies are coming!" was Izzy's suggestion.

"That's true," Louis told her, "but we might want to use a few more words."

"How about something like 'We're expecting triplets,'" Lily offered.

"That's still not very much information," Harry said.

"Three baby girls on the way?" was Sophie's contribution.

"That's getting warmer, I think," Harry commented.

"I've got it!" Louis exclaimed. He stood up and moved to Harry's side, lifting the tablet from his husband's hands. "Give me just a sec."

Harry sipped at his hot chocolate while he waited for Louis to finish.

The girls were not quite as patient.

"What are you writing, Papa?" Izzy asked, standing in her chair to try to see the screen, even though she couldn't have read Louis' words even if she did get her eyes on them.

Lily and Sophie--sat on the other side of the table--simply bombarded Louis with orders.

"Tell that they're identical!" Sophie yelled.

"Tell that they're girls!" Lily added.

Louis steadfastly ignored his children, finally handing the tablet back to Harry with a flourish. "There you go."

Harry took one look at what Louis had written and barked out a laugh. "Perfect!"

**Baby, it's cold outside! Or should we say "Babies," it's cold outside? That's right, the Tomlinson-Styles household is expecting yet again. This time, we're adding not one, not two, but three babies to our family. Coming when it's warmer outside: identical triplet girls! We can't wait!**

* * *

As winter melted into spring, Harry found himself getting distressingly bigger by the day. Three babies, as it turned out, needed a lot of space.

One Sunday morning, after getting breakfast for all the girls, Louis found Harry standing in front of the full-length mirror, looking at his profile. He was clothed only in his boxers, his hand resting on top of his sizeable bump, his face wearing a deep frown.

Louis walked up behind his husband, wrapping his arms around him and lacing his fingers over Harry's swollen belly. "Hi," he whispered in Harry's ear.

"I'm huge," Harry lamented. He rubbed a hand on the side of his bump. "I look like I looked when I was eight months pregnant with Izzy. I'm only five months."

"You look amazing," Louis countered. "Just like you looked when you were pregnant with Izzy. And the twins. Both sets."

Harry blushed at the compliment, but his lament went on. "I had only just got back in shape after Brighton and Lucy when I fell pregnant this time. One baby would have been easy to come back from, but what is this going to be like?"

"You're going to deliver three healthy babies, then you're going to go on a regimen that will whip you right back into shape," Louis told him matter-of-factly.

"You really think so?" Harry's brow said he didn't agree.

"I do," Louis assured him, kissing Harry's shoulder.

Harry was still staring at his profile. "Three babies, Louis. How am I going to deliver three babies?"

"Don't tell me you haven't Googled it," Louis said, cocking an eyebrow.

Harry sighed. "It's like you know me."

Louis chuckled. "After this many years and this many children, I like to think I do."

Harry turned to face Louis. "Most people end up having a c-section, but it is possible to deliver naturally, if all the babies are in the right position."

"I'm guessing that's what you'd like to do."

"If it's not going to be a risk for me or the babies, I would," Harry confirmed. "I just don't like the idea of surgery if it's not necessary."

"Then that's what you should do," Louis insisted. "Though maybe we should read up on the other alternatives, just in case."

Harry nodded. "That makes sense."

Louis reached up to wrap his arms around Harry's neck. He pulled him down for a kiss that began fairly chaste before quickly becoming steamier.

"The kids," Harry mumbled as he took a heaving breath in between Louis' lips' ministrations.

Louis broke the kiss long enough to report, "They're eating, then I told them they could watch some telly."

"Screen time, Lou. We have limits for a reason," Harry chided before joining right back into the kiss. They had a pretty hard and fast rule about their girls and screen time, not wanting them to spend a lot of time in front of the telly or with a tablet.

Louis lifted his lips once again to speak. "This particular screen time will allow us just a little time just you and me. What do you say?"

In answer, Harry puckered up his lips and dove in for more.

* * *

By the time Harry reached his sixth month and went to visit Dr. Cantor for a check up, he was about the size he was when he gave birth to Izzy. He was keen to make sure everything was coming along as it should.

Louis helped Harry onto the exam table, then they waited for the doctor to fire up the ultrasound machine. In no time, the monitor showed three growing baby girls.

The first thing Dr. Cantor did was allow Harry and Louis to listen in to the babies' heartbeats. The thumps were fast and furious, but the doctor assured them they sounded great.

"How about their size?" Harry asked. "How are they doing?"

"Well, as you know, since you had twins--"

"Twice," Harry interjected.

Dr. Cantor grinned widely. "Of course, twice. Like I've told you before, multiples tend to be a little smaller than singletons."

Harry nodded. "I remember."

"So, these three are all on the small side, but not dangerously so," she told them, highlighting each of the babies on the monitor. "They look to be just under a pound each, which is normal for triplets at this point."

"That's good," Harry commented, sharing a relieved look with Louis.

"Harry, this all looks really good," Dr. Cantor told him. "Your little ones seem to be growing at a good rate. I don't detect any issues with them at this point. How are you feeling?"

"A little like a whale," Harry replied, causing Louis to chuckle.

When Harry slapped him lightly him on the upper arm, Louis was quick to back-pedal. "You look amazing, H."

The doctor chuckled, too before handing him a cloth to clean off the gel. "Just keep reminding yourself that you have three precious baby girls in there. Before you know it, they'll be here."

"When's the latest I can realistically expect to carry them to?" Harry wanted to know, pulling his shirt back down over his belly.

"Well, it's very unlikely you'll go full term," Dr. Cantor answered. "I would be happy if you could get to thirty-four weeks. I'll be honest, I think no matter what they'll still spend time in the NICU, but they should be in good shape at that point."

Harry had more questions. "Can I expect to be put on bed rest at some point?"

"Maybe. Maybe not," the doctor replied vaguely. "If everything is going smoothly, then I see no reason you can't be up and around right up to your delivery. If there are issues, though, then, yes, I would want to put you on bed rest. Whatever it takes to get you to that magic number thirty-four."

Nodding his understanding, Harry continued down his list of queries. "I know it may be a pipe dream, but might it be possible to deliver the triplets naturally?"

Dr, Cantor gave him a knowing smile. "I thought that might be something you'd be interested in."

"What do you think?" Harry asked.

"I think it's possible," she told him. "Most triplets are born by c-section, but if they're in good positions and they're not in distress, we can consider that."

"I'd really like to try," Harry stated in a tone full of purpose.

"Then that's what we can have in your plan," Dr. Cantor said. "Just be prepared for us to need to move to a c-section if the stars aren't aligned, okay?"

"Okay," Harry agreed.

"Any other questions?" the doctor wondered.

"Nothing I can think of right this moment," Harry answered. "I'm sure I'll think of some later."

"Well, you know you can always call me or shoot me an e-mail," Dr. Cantor reminded him. "I know this is all a little daunting, even for someone who's carried twins…twice."

"It is," Harry concurred. "It still feels like a lot."

The doctor nodded. "Just don't overdo anything, and as I always tell you, listen to your body."

Harry nodded. "Thanks."

"Starting at the beginning of your seventh month, I want to see you every two weeks, all right?" Dr. Cantor requested.

"Sure," Harry agreed.

"I'll see you in a month, then." The doctor stood, shook both Harry's and Louis' hands, then left to attend to other expectant people.

"Ready to get off the table?" Louis asked once they were alone again.

Harry held both his hands out to his husband, and Louis helped him manoeuvre his legs over the edge of the table, then helped him hop off the table safely.

Caressing his bump, Harry said, "They'll be here in less than three months."

"That's really, really soon," Louis commented, opening the door out to the hallway. "But it's not tomorrow. We'll be ready when they actually come."

Harry gave him a serious side-eye. "We'll be ready? Really, Lou?"

Louis chuckled, starting down the hallway toward reception. "Okay, we'll be semi-ready."

"That sound's more realistic." Harry followed Louis out to the reception area.

After setting Harry's next appointment, they headed out to the car.

Harry seemed contemplative as he buckled himself in, so Louis started the car, but he didn't go to move it. Instead, he swivelled in his seat to face Harry. "What's up?"

Harry shook his head. "Nothing."

"Don't lie, babe. You aren't good at it." Louis smiled to soften the critique.

"I just can't quite shake this feeling that we're in over our heads for once," Harry said, meeting Louis' gaze.

"We can do this," Louis insisted, reaching over to squeeze Harry's thigh. "I know it's going to be a lot to deal with and get used to."

"It's three babies all at once, Louis," Harry was compelled to remind him. "That's one more baby than parents."

"True," Louis conceded. "But we have so many people to help. Let's not forget that Lily and Sophie will be eleven before the babies come. They'll be a huge help, too."

"I guess you're right," Harry admitted.

"I'm always right," Louis stated smugly.

Harry sighed. "I just hope the universe knows what it's doing?"

"You think the universe is giving us triplets?" Louis gave him a little smile.

"The universe, God, fate," Harry listed the possibilities. "Some higher power saw fit to gift us with three little girls all at once."

"Then whatever it was picked the right people. We are amazing parents, and we already have five beautiful, amazing kids." Louis spoke surely, ending his proclamation with an even bigger smile.

Harry couldn't help but smile, too. "Just like you said, you're right."

"Told you. What do you say we get home to those amazing kids, then, and let them know their little sisters are baking nicely?" Louis pressed the brake and threw the car into reverse.  
  
"Sounds like a great idea." Harry double checked his seat belt. "Let's go."

* * *

By the time Harry entered his seventh month, it was actually the girls who began nesting, not Harry. Harry was busy feeling huge and uncomfortable, and he was happy to let the girls get things ready.

When they had bought their four-bedroom house, they had assumed they'd have plenty of room for kids, but the five kids they already had created a full house, with no bedrooms to spare.

It had been a little of a hard sell, but when Brighton and Lucy were on the way, the girls had agreed to an arrangement in which Lily and Sophie would go back to sharing a room, Izzy would continue to have her own--moving out of the nursery into what was Sophie's room--and Brighton and Lucy would share the nursery.

Harry and Louis expected there to be some serious negotiating to be done this time around, but the kids surprised them by having a plan of their own. Apparently, they had had a "Sisters Meeting" officiated by Lily, most definitely the bossiest sister around. Izzy had been talked into going ahead and sharing a room with Brighton and Lucy. Izzy's only condition was the promise of getting bunk beds just like Lily and Sophie had, and Izzy would get the top. This left the nursery for the triplets, and all they would need to do is get a third crib.

Lily, Sophie, and Izzy were excited to help move the beds and build the new ones. Louis enlisted Liam to come and help, and they spent a weekend building and moving, Harry relegated to the lounge with the sofa, the baby twins and Netflix.

While Louis and Liam did most of the heavy lifting, Lily, Sophie, and Izzy took charge of moving around clothes and toys. The part which melted Louis' heart was that the girls brought toys of their own to the nursery for the new babies.

The girls also carefully sorted through and stored away all their old onesies and small things into the drawers in the nursery, even though the triplets would probably be too small for a lot of the clothes for a while.

At the end of the day on Sunday, with everything more or less ready as far as bedrooms were concerned, Louis and Harry insisted that Liam stay for a pizza dinner. Liam was happy to get extra time with his goddaughters.

As usual, the girls all vied for attention from Uncle Liam. He ended up sitting on the floor of the lounge with his plate of pizza, the girls surrounding him. He didn't seem to mind all that much, and the girls were in heaven.

Liam tossed a question out over the chit-chatting girls. "So, any names picked out for the new babies?"

Harry frowned, while Louis raised his eyebrows and tilted his head at Liam. "Sore spot."

"Oh?" Liam bit off the point of his second slice of pepperoni pizza.

With a sigh, Harry explained, "Louis would like to give them names that go together. You know, with a theme?"

"And you don't?" Liam surmised.

"Not really," Harry answered. "I think we avoided that nicely with both sets of twins. I'm not sure we need to start that now."

"But there are such fun things we could do!" Louis protested.

"Disney princesses names!" Sophie shared her contribution to the idea.

"Um, no," Harry responded quite emphatically.

Sophie pouted. "But the names are so pretty. I think we should use Jasmine, Ariel, and Giselle."

"Still no," Harry told her. "Sorry, Soph."

"I agree with no Disney princess names," Louis conceded, "but I think we could find names that have a theme which isn't cheesy."

Harry gazed at him sceptically. "I don't know. I think we should just go with three names we like. Make it individual."

"I think it would be sweet to give them names that go together," Liam shared his opinion. He earned a triumphant grin from Louis and a groan from Harry. "I do," he insisted.

"Thanks a lot, Li," Harry said sarcastically. He softened, though, as he looked back over at Louis. "I guess if you come up with something that works without being cheesy, I'll entertain the idea."

Louis grinned, then looked across the table at their girls. "What do you think, ladies? Can we come up with something cool that Daddy will approve?"

"Yes!" the girls cheered, not quite in unison, but good enough.

Through a bite of pizza, Izzy declared, "Maybe we can name them after superheroes!"

Harry smirked and winked at Louis. "Good luck, Papa."

Louis sighed heavily. "I think I'm going to need it."

* * *

Just before the seven-and-a-half month mark, Harry began having intense Braxton-Hicks contractions. Just about every time they started, he was terrified he was going into labour too early. Louis learned very quickly how to get Harry to calm down and start breathing with him, easing the practice contractions away.

At his regularly scheduled appointment with Dr. Cantor, Harry mentioned the Braxton-Hicks. When she did her scan, she noted that the babies had dropped and were clearly trying to jockey themselves into a birthing position. He wasn't dilated any, but since she wanted him to try to carry the triplets at least another two weeks--which would get them to thirty-two weeks--she uttered the two words Harry had been worried she would say. Bed rest.

He had been put on bed rest before, when he'd been pregnant with Brighton and Lucy. It had seemed an endless two weeks. Dr. Cantor said if he could make it all the way to thirty-four weeks, that would be even better, so he was possibly looking at a month this time. He would have to bear with it, though, for the sake of the babies. If he could carry them to at least thirty-two weeks, and the doctor continued to believe that they would spend some time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, but they should have a good starting point for preemies.

When they got home, they sat all the girls down and explained what the order of bed rest meant, not just for Harry, but for everyone in the house.

Lily and Sophie remembered Harry's first go round of bed rest, but Izzy had been pretty young, then, and Brighton and Lucy had been the reason for the bed rest.

Louis made it clear that he expected the girls to let Harry actually rest. Louis would be in charge of all the cooking, but he asked that the girls help with whatever part they could. They would all have to pitch in to keep the house tidy.

All Harry wanted to make clear was that he wanted the girls to visit him often, and they would find fun games to play and movies to watch. He would be insisting on many cuddles and kisses to get him through the imposed resting period. They readily agreed to all of his conditions.

The very next morning--which happened to be a Saturday--Harry was allowed to rest in bed undisturbed until nine a.m., almost unheard of with five young children in the house. He woke at his more usual six a.m., but relished in time with a book and checking social media on his phone. It felt decadent, but he told himself to enjoy it, because in no time at all, it would start to feel like a prison.

A few minutes after nine, he could hear a multitude of footsteps coming down the hall, and the door was flung open by a grinning Sophie. "Good morning, Daddy!"

"Good morning, Sophie," Harry began hoisting himself up, a struggle these days with his enormous belly.

"Morning, Daddy!" Lily echoed her sister as she followed Sophie into the room.

"We made breakfast, Daddy!" Izzy announced.

Louis was right behind her with a tray in his hands and Brighton and Lucy toddling at his heels. "'We' is a loose term for how that went down," he told Harry. "But Izzy did get the bread out, and Lily and Sophie put together the tray."

Harry chuckled. "I'm sure it's all fabulous."

Louis set the tray down next to Harry. "Good morning, love." He pressed a kiss to Harry's lips, eliciting some "ews" from the peanut gallery.

"Good morning, Lou." Harry checked out the tray. There was a plate with scrambled eggs, toast, sausage, and baked beans, a cup of tea, and a small vase with flowers placed inside. "This looks wonderful."

All the girls beamed at the praise.

"Can we stay while you eat, Daddy?" Lily asked.

"Sure," Harry agreed. "But let Papa lift the tray before you get on the bed or it will literally be breakfast in bed."

They all had a laugh while Louis lifted the tray off the bed long enough for all five girls to pile on the bed. He warned them to stay still once he set the tray back down.

Harry started with a sip of herbal tea, then he tried a bite of everything else. "This is all fantastic." He smiled at Louis. "I have trained you well. I remember when you didn't even know how to whisk."

While Harry ate, Lily and Sophie outlined the day.

"We will watch a movie in here this morning," Sophie began. "Since you're on bed rest, Daddy, you get to pick which movie."

Harry grinned. "How generous."

"We'll make sandwiches for lunch, then you can nap with Brighton and Lucy," Lily went on.

"If they nap…." Louis stole a piece of Harry's toast, biting off a corner.

"Then we bring games in to play when everyone is awake," Sophie continued. "We can play until tea time."

"I'm ordering pizza, since it's Saturday," Louis interjected.

"Then we have stories until bedtime!" Lily concluded grandly.

"That is a very well-thought out plan," Harry told them. "How did we get such smart kids, Louis?"

"I don't even know. Maybe they aren't ours," Louis teased.

All the girls protested with boos. "Daddy had all of us!" Lily insisted smartly.

Harry patted his belly, housing the babies who would be joining them eventually. "I remember carrying all of you just like I am these three."

"I guess I remember that, too." Louis grinned.

"So, you like our plan, Daddy?" Sophie inquired, her little eyebrows raised in a way that was scarily Louis-esque.

"I do," Harry assured her. "Let me finish my breakfast, then we can get on with Bed Rest, Day One. Where's the remote? I believe I have a movie to choose."

* * *

After two weeks of bed rest, the entire Tomlinson-Styles family held their collective breath. Harry was at thirty-two weeks, and every day he got through without going into labour made the triplets stronger.

Harry definitely wasn't any more suited to bed rest this time than he had been the first time. Fortunately, Lily and Sophie took it upon themselves to become like small cruise directors, planning Harry's days so he had very little chance to get bored. At least the babies had timed themselves so that this last stretch was during their sisters' summer holidays.

Harry continued to have Braxton-Hicks contractions, but he had become something of an expert at determining that's what they were. Two days past the two week mark, he awoke in the middle of the night to contractions that he knew right away were not Braxton-Hicks. He was in labour.

Even though he was positive that this was it--true labour--he waited a couple hours before waking Louis. The contractions weren't all that painful, and they were almost fifteen minutes apart. He just lay in bed, dozing and timing contractions with his mobile.

He didn't want to risk not getting to the hospital on time, however, so despite the fact that his bedside clock shined out 4:17 a.m., he reached out to gently shake Louis' shoulder.

Eleven plus years with kids meant Louis awakened fairly quickly, turning to face Harry, squinting in the moonlight. "Harry?" He peered over Harry's shoulder at the clock. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm pretty sure I'm in labour."

Any vestiges of sleep clinging to Louis fled. "Since when?"

"Calm down," Harry urged him. "It's only been a couple hours, and they're about fourteen minutes apart. I think we should ring Gemma to come over, though, then we can get to the hospital before the contractions speed up."

Louis took care of calling Gemma. She'd been on call ever since Harry went on bed rest, so she wasn't too surprised. She would be over in a half an hour.

This gave Harry and Louis time to change into joggers and t-shirts and grab the hospital bag they'd prepared about two weeks earlier--with Lily and Sophie's help. The girls had wanted to make sure their fathers packed the cutest clothes for the triplets to wear home. Louis and Harry had warned them that the babies might not be coming straight home, but Lily and Sophie had insisted.

They decided not to wake any of the children, as they knew full well even the tiniest twins would beg to come along. Harry wasn't having the babies any time soon. The kids could join them after they'd had a full night's sleep.

Gemma was there exactly thirty minutes after they'd rung, and she wished them good luck, promising to bring the girls over in the morning. She got herself comfy on the sofa while Louis called a Lyft to pick them up. They left the keys to the SUV with Gemma so she'd have the vehicle with the car seats.

The early hour meant a short wait for a Lyft, but they made it to the admitting desk at the hospital by 5:30 a.m. They had plenty of time.

Harry was sad to have to give up the birthing centre they'd used for Brighton and Lucy, but a triplet pregnancy was considered high risk, so Dr. Cantor had told him he needed to deliver at the hospital. Harry wanted the babies to have the very best care, so he'd agreed readily.

As luck would have it, Dr. Cantor had arrived at the hospital a few hours before to deliver another baby, and the nurse in Admitting assured Harry and Louis she'd be by to check Harry out as soon as Harry was settled in his room.

It didn't take very long for Harry to be installed in a fairly sizeable room which would serve him for both labour and delivery. It was plenty big enough for everyone who would need to be present when the babies were born.

Proving the nurse who had admitted Harry correct, Dr. Cantor showed up just a very short while after Harry had been situated in the hospital bed, a foetal monitor over his belly.

"Good morning, gentlemen," she greeted them way more brightly than the six o'clock hour would usually call for.

Thankfully, both Harry and Louis were wide awake. "Good morning."

"Are you ready to have some babies?" the doctor asked, smiling widely.

"As ready as I'm going to get," Harry replied.

"Well, I'm excited that I finally get to help you deliver," Dr. Cantor went on. "It's taken quite a while."

"We're excited about that, too," Louis said. "There's no one we trust more than to get our three girls here safely."

"Why don't I check how you and the babies are coming along here?" the doctor suggested.

"Sure," Harry said, steeling himself for the somewhat invasive examination.

Dr. Cantor did the uncomfortable exam first. "It feels like you're at about three centimetres. Got a bit to go there. Have your waters broken?"

Harry shook his head. "Not yet."

"We'll keep an eye on that, and we'll break them for you if need be," the doctor stated. "Now, let's get those girls on an ultrasound and see if they're in a good position for you to deliver naturally."

There was an ultrasound machine right in the room, so after slipping the foetal monitor away temporarily, Dr. Cantor readied the wand and squirted some gel onto Harry's large belly.

It only took a moment for her to find Baby A. "She's head down," the doctor announced. "Perfect. Looks like we're a go for your birth plan. As of now, anyhow."

"What about the other two?" Louis wanted to know.

"Baby B looks breech right now, and Baby C could go either way," Dr. Cantor answered. "They may shift once Baby A is out, but we can deal with whichever way they present."

"Lucy was breech," Harry told her. "It was tricky, but she came out okay."

The doctor nodded. "Everything looks good to go. Since you're only at three centimetres, it's going to be a while before you're ready to push, but we'll do everything we can to make you comfortable while you progress through labour."

Harry nodded. "Thanks."

"I'll be here for the duration," Dr. Cantor assured him. "Please don't hesitate to have the nurses page me if you need something or have a question."

"Thanks," Harry said once again.

The doctor resituated the foetal monitor and quickly reviewed how to read it with Louis, since he hadn't had a chance to read one since Lily and Sophie's birth over ten years ago. He felt ready to help track Harry's contractions by the time Dr. Cantor finished her explanation.

"It could be a long day," she warned them. "Settle in and try to relax."

"I'll try," Harry promised.

"I'll be back in a little bit to check up on you, okay?" When Louis and Harry both nodded, she left the room. No doubt she had other patients to attend to.

Now they were alone again, Louis turned to Harry. "How're you doing there, babe?"

Harry was just about to respond when a contraction rushed through him. Louis instantly took Harry's hand in his own and reminded him to breathe.

Once the contraction had passed, Harry was able to answer. "I'm doing okay. Ready for these girls to come out."

"I can't wait to meet them," Louis said. "Maybe we should settle on some names."

"I had an idea I was going to mention to you." Harry reached for a cup of water one of the nurses had left on the side table, taking a sip. "I was thinking about names while I was waiting to wake you up earlier."

"Oh?"

"Floral names," Harry revealed. "I thought that might be a good theme without being too cheesy."

Louis mulled the idea over for a moment, then nodded. "I like it."

"We can look up lists on the phone while we wait these babies out."

"That's a great idea." Louis stood from the seat he'd taken up by the bed. "Let me go get a cup of tea and call my mum and yours, then we can start our research."

"Works for me," Harry agreed. He picked up his mobile to pull up Google. They had three babies to name.

* * *

Harry had progressed to four centimetres by the time Gemma brought the girls by. Lily, Sophie, and Izzy had all been there when Brighton and Lucy were born, but this time, they would be waiting with Gemma in the hospital's playroom. There was just enough risk inherent in a triplet delivery that Harry and Louis would need to focus and be ready for anything. Hard to do with their daughters in the room.

They didn't need to be booted from the room for a while yet, though, and they were thrilled to be able to distract Daddy. The girls were doubly excited when Nanny Anne and Nanny Jay arrived in the later part of the morning. They'd take all the attention they could get before the new babies arrived and stole it all.

By noon, about ten hours after going into labour, Harry finally made it to five centimetres. Halfway there. His contractions were about ten minutes apart. But his waters hadn't broken, and he didn't know if he could do ten more hours of this if it took ten hours to become fully dilated.

"You did almost twenty-four hours with Lily and Sophie," Louis reminded him. "You've totally got this."

"You're doing great, Harry," Dr. Cantor interjected, placing the ultrasound wand back into its holder. "Since your waters are still intact, though, I think I'd like to go ahead and break them. That may speed things up just a little, not to mention ease some pressure."

"Okay," Harry said. "Works for me."

It only took a moment for the doctor to use a tool to break Harry's waters, then she bade Louis to take Harry for a walk so the nurses could change the bedding. Harry was more than happy to get up and move around a little.

They decided to walk to the playroom to check on how the girls were doing. Their aunt and grandmothers had taken them to play while Harry was examined, then they had been promised they would be allowed to get lunch from the cafeteria. All the adults had been so tickled that the girls derived so much joy from the idea of hospital food.

The minute they walked into the playroom, Izzy spotted them and ran over, tackling Louis. "Papa! Papa!"

"Izzy! Izzy!" Louis returned, trying to match her brightness despite his exhaustion. It was a marathon, he reminded himself, not a sprint.

"Are the babies here yet?" she asked, looking up at him with hopeful eyes.

Louis shook his head. "Look, they're still in Daddy's tummy."

Izzy frowned. "I was ready to meet them."

Harry smiled even through the contraction causing him to pause in the doorway. When it had passed, he looked down at his only singleton. "I'm ready to meet them, too, Iz. Believe me, I'm so ready."

"What did the doctor say?" Lily inquired, Sophie walking over with her. "Are the babies okay?"

"They're doing fine," Harry told them. "They're just taking their time. Like all of you. Excepting, of course, Ms. Isabelle McSpeederson."

Izzy giggled. She loved hearing the story about how she was born at home because she was so eager to enter the world.

"It's going to be a while yet," Louis put in. "We decided to take a little walk to help things along. It helped with you two." He pointed to the elder of their sets of twins.

"It did?" Sophie seemed surprised.

"It did," Louis confirmed. "Uncle Liam, Uncle Niall, and Uncle Zayn took turns walking your dad around the floor of the hospital."

"I can take a turn walking Daddy," Lily offered confidently.

Both her dads chuckled at her earnestness. Harry added, "I will take you up on that, Lily. Your turn next."

"Who's ready for some food?" Anne said as she walked up to the little group, Brighton in her arms. Jay was right behind her, toting Lucy. "I believe we promised you girls some gourmet cafeteria food."

Lily, Sophie, and Izzy all cheered. "Yes!"

"Then you all need to go help Auntie Gemma clean up, then," Anne informed them, looking meaningfully back over her shoulder to where Gemma was putting toys back in their place.

The three older girls immediately went to help their aunt.

"Do you boys want us to bring something back up for you?" Jay asked Harry and Louis.

"I'll take a sandwich and some crisps. You know what I like," Louis told her. "Haz? Up for food?"

Harry scrunched up his nose. "Not really. Maybe a banana?"

"You and your bananas," Louis teased.

"Hey," Harry protested, "Leave me alone. I'm about to deliver three babies. Three, Louis."

"Why don't you bring him three bananas, Mum," Louis suggested. "One for each baby."

Jay chuckled. "Okay."

"Seriously, though," Louis continued, "thanks for looking after the girls."

"Absolutely no problem," Jay assured him. "We're so glad we can help."

Anne hoisted Brighton up onto her hip a little more securely. "Why don't you two walk back to your room? We'll meet you there with the food."

"Sounds good," Louis said, reaching for Harry's lower back to guide him from the room.

Harry and Louis both blew kisses to the girls, then left the room ahead of them.

Just as they arrived back at the door to his room, Harry groaned and stopped, clutching a hand to his distended belly.

Louis nearly snapped his neck turning to look at Harry. "It's okay, love. Breathe with me."

The contraction lasted almost a minute, then finally subsided.

Harry exhaled slowly. "That was much stronger than any so far."

"I guess breaking your waters helped," Louis commented. "Hopefully these girls will be on their way soon."

"I hope so," Harry said. "Because I don't mind telling you that this is not the most fun I've ever had."

They walked into the room, and Louis helped Harry onto the bed--not the easiest thing in his current condition. "You mean this isn't just like our trip to Disney when Lily and Sophie were five? Or playing a stadium filled with thousands of fans?"

Harry chuckled. "Not even close."

* * *

Harry was at seven centimetres dilated with contractions that were coincidentally seven minutes apart when he decided another walk was in order. He desperately needed to encourage the babies to head on down so they could get on out. It was now late in the afternoon.

Lily and Sophie wanted to be the ones to accompany Harry once around the floor. Louis readily agreed to let them, though he warned them to be careful and move as slowly as Harry wanted--no running ahead.

Lily took one hand and Sophie the other, then they headed out of the room at a leisurely pace.

"Daddy, have you and Papa picked names for the babies?" Sophie asked as she guided Harry toward the nurses' station.

"I think we have," Harry replied. "But we're going to wait until they're born to make sure the names we've chosen fit."

"Give us a hint?" Lily looked up at him with what Harry knew she thought were innocent eyes.

Harry grinned and shook his head. "Nope. Papa and I are keeping the names to ourselves until the babies are here."

Lily sighed with frustration.

Sophie picked up the line of questioning. "What about middle names? Have you chosen those?"

"Maybe," Harry told her. "But we may ask for your help with those, so you need to think of names you like, okay?"

"Really?" Lily perked up. "We can help?"

"Well, you did a good job helping with Izzy's name, yeah?" Harry reminded them.

Izzy had come so early and so fast that he and Louis hadn't quite narrowed down names yet. They allowed Lily and Sophie to pick from names that had been on both Louis' list and Harry's. They'd chosen Isabelle. They'd even been the ones to start calling her Izzy.

"We did," Lily and Sophie answered both simultaneously and immodestly.

With a chuckle, Harry said, "So be thinking of a way you can keep up the good work. We need three good middle names."

"We can do it, Daddy," Sophie assured him as they rounded another corner.

"We won't let you down," Lily added.

Harry was opening his mouth to thank them when a contraction swept over him. He stopped to lean against a nearby wall, dropping the twins' hands in favour of placing his palms against the wall.

"Breathe, Daddy," Lily repeated something she'd heard her Papa say.

Sophie put her little hand on Harry's lower back and rubbed slow circles into it, something else lifted from their Papa.

The contraction was stronger than the one which had preceded it, and Harry was pretty sure it had been less than seven minutes since the last one. Thank goodness. Just a little bit closer to delivery.

When the contraction passed, he got to offer his gratitude to his talented escorts. "Thanks, girls. You're such great helpers. Now let's get back to the room. I don't think we're going to have to wait very much longer before your new sisters arrive."

"Do we still have time to think of names?" Sophie inquired as she took his hand once again.

"Plenty," Harry answered.

Lily took his other hand, and they continued their walk back toward Harry's room. "What about Elsa?"

"Or Anna," Sophie put in.

Harry sighed and hoped he hadn't just made a very, very bad decision.

* * *

Harry still had to endure another two and a half hours of labour before he reached the magic ten centimetres he needed to be in order to begin to push. The contractions were nearly on top of each other, very nearly closer and stronger than any he'd ever experienced before.

Fortunately, he had plenty of distractions to try to keep his mind off the contractions and the anxiety of knowing he had to push out not one, not two, but three babies out. Louis stayed with him, and Anne, Jay, Gemma, and the kids wandered in and out to regale him with tales of what they were getting up to in the playroom and outside in the nearby park.

Soon enough, though, it was time for Harry to give birth, and the girls were relegated to the playroom with Anne, Jay, and Gemma in charge. Louis would, of course, stay with Harry for the duration of delivery.

Louis helped Harry get ready. He helped him get off the t-shirt he was only half-wearing anyway and pull his hair up in a clip--it was not long enough for a bun quite yet, though he was growing it out just a little. Then Louis helped Harry find a satisfactory--nothing was comfortable at this point--position for pushing. He had his feet in stirrups for the first delivery since Lily and Sophie, and he had four pillows behind him to prop him up. That way, Louis' hand would be free for squeezing.

Dr. Cantor was assisted by four nurses, one for each triplet and a floater, just in case. Louis and Harry would get a chance to spend a few minutes with each baby, then the nurses would take them to the NICU for cleaning, testing, and care, just as the doctor had told them.

The doctor scrubbed her hands thoroughly and got some surgical gloves on before positioning herself on a stool in front of Harry's bottom and pulling in a deep breath. She looked over Harry's belly and grinned. "Ready to have some babies?"

"Beyond ready," Harry replied, groaning as a contraction began.

"Go ahead and begin pushing," the doctor ordered. "Baby A should be the easiest, as the others will more or less push her out, since there's not a lot of room in there."

Harry dipped his chin into his chest and pushed as hard as he could, gripping Louis hand with his left hand and the bar on the bed with his right.

"That's wonderful, Harry," Dr. Cantor praised him. "Just like that."

"A hundred times more," Louis joked.

Harry shot him a glare. "Bite your tongue. Three babies, remember."

"Sorry, love," Louis apologised. "Hopefully just fifty, then."

Harry had time for a quick swipe of Louis' arm before another contraction overtook him. He tucked his chin in again and pushed with all his might. When he was done, he rested his head back on the pillows.

Louis leaned over to lightly press a kiss to Harry's temple. "You're doing great, H."

When the next contraction hit, Harry dug his heels into the stirrups and gave another hard push. This time, he felt the baby drop a good bit. "She's coming," he told Louis as the contraction passed.

Sure enough, as Harry pushed during the following contraction, Dr. Cantor announced, "I see a head!"

Louis moved away from Harry long enough to check out the cap of hair on the head of his sixth daughter as she worked her way out of Harry's body.

On the next contraction, Harry yelled as Baby A stretched his opening to its maximum, her head popping out.

It took two more intense pushes to get her shoulders out, then Baby A slid out into Dr. Cantor's waiting hands. The baby let out a cry and one of the nurses came forward to wipe her face off, then passed her up to lay on Harry's chest. She cried for a moment or two before calming down and looking up at Harry with huge blue eyes as if trying to process her new surroundings.

Louis reached out a hand to cup it around her head. "She's so tiny, but so perfect. Hello, darling. It's so lovely to meet you."

Harry kissed the top of her head. "Hello, baby girl. We're so glad you're here."

The nurse let them have another moment or two, then Dr. Cantor had Louis cut the cord before the nurse took Baby A for her cleaning and tests.

Baby A was barely away before a powerful contraction rolled through Harry's midsection. It was time for Baby B.

"Give me just a moment to determine if she's still breech or not," the doctor requested.

Harry held tight to Louis' hand as Dr. Cantor worked out Baby B's position.

"She's still breech," the doctor said soberly, looking from Harry to Louis. "But just like with your other little one, we can do this. We have two choices. I can try to turn her, or we can just move ahead and deliver her breech."

"Which do you recommend?" Harry inquired.

"It would be preferable to turn her, but that's tricky when there's another baby in there, so my instinct says to just go ahead and deliver her breech. You've done this before, which helps," she added.

"I don't want to do anything to risk either baby," Harry told her. "If you're okay with my delivering her breech, let's do it."

A contraction that stole Harry's breath hit him, causing him to scream in pain.

"Go ahead and push, Harry," Dr. Cantor urged. "I'll grab her feet as she comes down."

Harry nodded, braced himself, and pushed as hard as he could, though his energy was definitely waning. In the back of his mind, he was already wondering how he was going to birth the third baby.

"That was a good one, Harry," the doctor stated as that contraction faded. "I can't quite get her feet yet, so keep up the good work. I know it's hard, but you can do it."

Harry had to push for more than ten minutes before Dr. Cantor was able to grab Baby B's feet.

"Okay, now, Harry," she said, "you need to push as gently as you can so I can guide her out and get her arms down before her shoulders."

It was not easy to dial it down when all he wanted to do was get these babies out, but Harry tried to do exactly as the doctor told him. He pushed gently, stifling screams as he was stretched to the limit while the doctor eased Baby B's arms out, then her shoulders.

"I've got everything but her head now," Dr. Cantor said. "I just want to turn her a little around the cords here."

Harry nodded and used the moment to try to catch his breath.

Finally, the doctor told him, "Go ahead and push, Harry. One big one, and she'll be here."

Hauling in a deep breath, Harry bore down as hard as he could, and despite all the pain, he felt the moment the baby left his body, and he slumped back onto the pillows. The baby's cry filled the room--a wonderful noise.

It only took a moment for Baby B's nurse to wipe the baby's face and lift her up and through Harry's legs. He took her eagerly, exhaustion momentarily fleeing at his first look at her tiny face.

"Hi there, peanut," Harry whispered. She calmed at the sound of his voice and the touch of his finger on her cheek. "Took quite the difficult path there, didn't you?"

Just as he'd done with Baby A, Louis cupped a hand around Baby B's head. "Just as beautiful as your sister." He turned to look at Harry. "Well done, you."

Harry breathed in deeply. "Two down, one to go."

The nurse hovered nearby patiently as Harry and Louis took their time meeting their second little girl, but Louis was eventually prompted to cut the cord so the nurse could take Baby B for her cleaning and tests.

Once she was gone, Harry waited for the next contraction, but there was none. Perplexed, he asked Dr. Cantor, "Could the contractions have stopped?"

"It's possible," she responded. "Your body may think it's done, but I suspect they'll start up again soon."

"It won't hurt the baby, will it?" Harry worried.

"No, it shouldn't," the doctor tried to assure him. "This gives us a minute to check her position."

Since his belly wasn't contracting just then, Dr. Cantor decided to use the ultrasound to peek in on Baby C. Within seconds, one of the remaining nurses squirted some gel on Harry's stomach and the doctor was able to start moving the wand around.

"She's head down, it looks like," she reported. "She's going to need a bit of time to drop down, but she's in a great position. She just needs to figure out that it's her turn."

The momentary pause in contractions gave Harry a much-needed break. He sank back into the pillows behind him and closed his eyes.

Louis kept Harry's hand in his, but also sat down while he could. "You're doing such a great job, H. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks," Harry said softly. "You're doing a great job, too."

Louis chuckled. "I give great hand."

Harry had to chuckle, too, though his eyes remained closed.

The nurses bustled about the room, clearing things they'd used and getting things ready for Baby C, while the doctor got outfitted in new surgical gloves in anticipation of the last part of Harry's delivery.

After about twenty minutes, Harry's contractions resumed, though they were somewhat less intense than before. He opened his eyes and situated himself for more pushing. Louis stood up to assist where he could.

Dr. Cantor did another scan and frowned. "She's still pretty high up there. When you're ready, go ahead and start pushing. She should work her way down with a little bit of your help."

The contractions slowly became stronger again, but it took about fifteen minutes for Baby C to move down far enough that she began to crown.

Harry was well beyond exhausted by this point, but though the pain of this last baby crowning was as powerful as it had been for the first, it was a sign that the end was in sight. It gave him the motivation to step up the strength of his pushing as much as he could, right through his exhaustion.

"She's coming, Harry!" the doctor cried. "Keep pushing!"

"You can do this, Haz," Louis encouraged him, squeezing Harry's hand to remind Harry he was right there with him.

A few more hard pushes and Baby C's head emerged. Harry groaned at the sensation.

"She's almost here," Dr. Cantor declared, gently moving the two cords which had been the other babies' lifelines out of the way of this last baby. "Let me just shift her a little, then you can push for the shoulders."

Louis peeked at what the doctor was doing, well aware that he was probably watching his last child be born. There was no way Harry was doing this again. Eight was almost certainly enough.

"She's gorgeous, Harry," Louis reported.

"Okay, Harry. Go ahead and push as hard as you can," Dr. Cantor commanded.

Harry nodded, drew in a deep breath and then bore down with all his might. He had to do this three times, then Baby C's shoulders exited Harry's body, the rest of her right behind. She began to cry almost immediately.

Just as the other nurses had done with their charges, Baby C's nurse wiped off the baby's face and passed her up to Harry, who took her gratefully.

"There she is," Louis said in a whisper. "The hat trick."

"Hi, sweet girl," Harry said. "Welcome to the world."

Harry and Louis got another moment with her, just drinking in her face as she closed her eyes. She must have been as exhausted by her journey as Harry was. Then Louis was invited to cut her cord before her nurse whisked her away for her own turn at cleaning and tests.

There continued to be contractions rolling through Harry's body, and he moaned at the thought of delivering the placenta, even though he knew it was necessary, no matter how far past tired he was.

"Okay, Harry," Dr. Cantor stated, "Nurse Caroline will give you a little help here. While you push from the inside, she will push from the outside, and your placenta should be out in no time."

It was uncomfortable for Caroline to be pushing on his already-very-sore belly, but the help was much welcome. It took four contractions--all one on top of the other--and the placenta which had nurtured the triplets was out. The doctor immediately examined it, proclaiming it intact, and with that, labour and delivery was over.

Harry looked up at Louis while Louis looked down at him.

"I feel like I could sleep for a week," Harry announced wearily.

Louis laughed. "Good luck with that. We have eight kids now."

Harry shook his head incredulously. "Eight. Such a big number."

Dr. Cantor smiled over at the men. "Congratulations on your triplets. You did an amazing job, Harry. That was something special there."

"Thanks." Harry smiled softly. "It certainly was."

"I'll go down to the playroom and make sure your family knows that your new little ones all arrived safely," the doctor told them. "Nurse Caroline will help you get cleaned up here, then you can go down to the NICU to see your babies."

"Thanks so much," Louis said. "For everything."

"My pleasure."

Nurse Caroline was joined by another nurse called Heather. Together, they got Harry all cleaned up and dressed in the paternity joggers and t-shirt packed in Harry's hospital bag.

While they got Harry ready, Louis took a few minutes to himself, splashing some water on his face in the bathroom and sitting down on the toilet to close his eyes for a quick rest. He was feeling a little more energised by the time the nurses were situating Harry in a wheelchair.

Sidling up to where Harry sat, Louis asked, "Ready to go see how our baby girls are doing?"

Despite still feeling more exhausted than he had at the end of any tour, Harry grinned widely. "Absolutely."

* * *

Harry and Louis--and their escorts--stopped by the playroom to collect Lily and Sophie and their grandmothers. Gemma had taken Izzy and the baby twins home to put them to bed. Anne and Jay had stayed to watch the older twins. The nurses encouraged everyone to join them on their trip down to the NICU. Anne and Jay were almost as excited as Lily and Sophie to get to be the first to meet the three new members of their family.

The trip to the NICU seemed to take forever, but soon, they had all arrived at the entrance to the ward. The nurses took a moment to get everyone into special hospital gowns and have them wash their hands. They explained to Lily and Sophie that they needed to follow all the directions the NICU staff gave them. Even as they bounced on their tiptoes in excitement, they agreed to the rules.

The Head NICU Nurse introduced herself as Jane, and Harry and Louis introduced themselves, their mothers, and Lily and Sophie.

Jane smiled brightly. "So, you're the family of the beautiful triplets we just welcomed to the NICU?"

"We are," Louis confirmed. "There are three more girls at home. They'll come tomorrow to meet their sisters."

The look in her eyes told the collected Tomlinsons and Styleses that she was doing the mental math. "Eight girls?"

Harry nodded. "Eight girls."

"Well, congratulations," Jane told them. "Your triplets are all doing very well, though they all have a little catching up to do in the development department, since they're thirty-two weeks."

Harry and Louis nodded. After Dr. Cantor had mentioned the triplets would likely need to spend time in the NICU, they had done a little research so they would know what to expect. They knew the babies would need to have good lung development, a healthy weight, and be infection-free.

"Let's go over to Baby A first," Jane suggested, leading them to an incubator in the back of the room.

The tiny baby in the incubator they were taken to first was outfitted in a nappy and an incredibly small white hat.

"All three of your girls are doing well," Jane told Harry and Louis. "You'll see that they're all hooked up with a feeding tube, just to get them started with some nutrition. They're all breathing reasonably well, though with preemies, we do keep a close eye on them.

"Baby A," she continued, "weighs three and half pounds. She's the heaviest of the three of them. She seems very alert, and she's definitely a little bit feisty."

"Can I hold her?" Harry wanted to know.

"Of course," Jane answered. "Feel free to take off your shirt if you want to do some skin-on-skin with her."

Louis helped Harry to take off his shirt, then Jane lifted the first born of the triplets out of the incubator and onto Harry's chest. She whimpered a little at being moved, but calmed after a few moments on Harry's chest.

Louis squatted so he could get a good look at the baby, and Anne, Jay, Lily, and Sophie watched on with smiles all around.

"Did you guys decide on names?" Anne wondered aloud.

Harry nodded. "We decided on first names." He shifted his gaze to Louis. "I told Lily and Sophie they could choose the middle names."

"You did?" Louis blinked in surprise.

Shooting Louis an apologetic look, he replied, "I did."

Louis took a moment to process this, then regarded Lily and Sophie seriously. "Okay, girls. Choose well."

"We can really choose?" Sophie confirmed.

"You can really choose," Louis assured her.

"So, what's her first name?" Lily asked.

Louis looked back to Harry and raised his eyebrows, giving Harry permission to share their decision.

"Well, we decided to go with floral names for these girls," Harry explained, "right, Lou?"

At Louis' nod, Harry continued, "I think given that they're already calling her feisty, we should go with Poppy for this one."

"That's so sweet!" Jay proclaimed.

"We need a minute," Lily stated.

"Okay," Harry allowed, gazing back down at Poppy.

Lily and Sophie moved away just a little and had a short, whispered conversation. When they returned, Harry and Louis gave them an expectant look.

"Poppy Aurora," Lily announced proudly.

"Sleeping Beauty?" Anne checked to make sure she was picking the right movie.

"Yes. Do you like it, Daddy? Papa?" Sophie inquired.

Both of her fathers nodded. "I like it a lot," Harry told her. "Great job."

Lily and Sophie grinned at each other in triumph.

"Save your self-congratulations for after Baby C," Louis said cheekily.

Lily smirked while her sister sobered up as directed.

Louis got a turn with Poppy before she was returned to the incubator. Once she was secure there, Lily and Sophie got to put their fingers inside Poppy's tiny ones, and they introduced themselves as Poppy's oldest and best sisters.

Jane led them to the next incubator in the row, Louis pushing Harry's chair along. "Baby B weighs three and a quarter pounds. So far, she's the calmest of the three."

"Interesting, given she came feet first," Harry commented with a smirk much like Lily's.

"Give her time," Louis said.

Jane placed Baby B on Harry's chest. She squawked a tiny bit and Louis reached out to pat her back. She settled shortly thereafter.

"Okay, what’s this little princess's name?" Jay asked.

Louis leaned down to whisper in Harry's ear, and Harry nodded in agreement. Louis announced, "Ladies, meet Violet."

"Awwww!" Anne, Jay, Lily, and Sophie reacted almost as one.

Sophie tugged Lily to the side. Just as before, they had a hushed discussion. It did not take them long to finish.

It was Sophie's turn to make the announcement of their decision. "Violet Belle."

Harry and Louis grinned. "You guys are two for two, I think. Don't you agree, Haz?" Louis inquired.

"I do," Harry responded. He looked down at the baby nestled on his chest. "Miss Violet Belle, you have a full name now."

As he had with Poppy, Louis took a turn with Violet. Lily and Sophie got to coo over Violet once she was back in her incubator. She was just as intriguing to them as Poppy had been.

The little group moved on to the next incubator, which held Baby C.

"Baby C weighs just a little over three pounds," Jane reported. "Small, but not dangerously so. She seems like quite the little fighter. Would you like to hold her, too?"

"Absolutely," Harry said, already holding out his hands.

Baby C wailed when she was lifted from her warm isolette, and it took Harry a minute or two of patting on her back to soothe her. Soon enough, she was resting quietly on her Daddy's chest, looking up at him curiously.

"Hello there, littlest one," Harry whispered to her. "Papa and I are very happy to make your acquaintance."

Louis squatted down to run a finger down the baby's wee arm. "We really are."

"What's the last flower name, Papa?" Lily asked.

"You tell, Haz," Louis directed. "You pushed her out."

"I did, didn't I?" Harry sounded justifiably proud of himself. He returned his attention to the question at hand. "Okay. The last name we picked is Rose."

With a grin, Louis urged, "Go ahead, girls. Take a minute to discuss."

The twins stepped to the side as Anne and Jay moved in to get a closer look at the last of the triplets. They returned after a slightly more lengthy discussion.

Sophie cleared her throat to get the adults' attention. Even Jane was curious to see what the girls had come up with for their youngest sister.

"Well, Daddy…and Papa…. We were wondering if you might be okay with altering your idea just a bit and going with Briar Rose," Lily proposed.

"Isn't that from Sleeping Beauty, too? Aurora's other name?" Anne clarified.

The girls nodded. "We think it's so, so pretty," Sophie proclaimed. "Don't you, Papa?"

"Hm," Louis hummed. "We hadn't even considered that. What do you think, Harry?"

Harry looked down at the baby on his chest. "Briar Rose," he tried the name out. "It is very pretty."

"It is," Louis concurred.

"What do you think, peanut," Harry asked toward the baby. "Do you like your sisters' idea? Briar Rose?"

She looked up at him with big eyes and wiggled her toes just a little.

"I think she likes it," Harry stated. He shifted his gaze from his daughter to his husband. "Louis?"

"Works for me, too." Louis smiled. "You want to make it unanimous, H?"

"I like it, too," Harry concluded. "Briar Rose it is."

Mindful of their surroundings, Lily and Sophie made their squeals of joy quiet squeals.

"Yes, girls, now you can celebrate," Louis allowed. "You did good."

**@Louis_Tomlinson Harry and I have added to our brood! Joining their five big sisters are Poppy Aurora, Violet Belle, and Briar Rose, identical triplets born at 7:53 pm, 8:27 pm, and 9:16 pm on 13 July 2026. They're tiny, but mighty! #BlessedTimesEight #Eight!!!**

* * *

The next morning, Izzy, Bridget, Lucy, and Gemma got to meet the triplets, and all were immediately enchanted, of course. Lily and Sophie were glad to have more time with the babies, too, feeling especially connected having helped with naming them.

Since he'd just been through a high-risk delivery, Dr. Cantor insisted that Harry remain at the hospital for another full night. Harry was fine with that. He was exhausted, and going home with five excited girls was not going to aid in his resting. Louis assured him he had everything under control.

Harry and Louis spent the day in and out of the NICU, taking the time to hold and get to know their beautiful new baby girls. Poppy was the most alert, taking in everything even inside her isolette. Violet was the sleepy one, using her sleep time to make herself strong. Briar Rose--Lily and Sophie had taken to using both names, so Harry and Louis did so, too--was their crier, though she was easily soothed with a cuddle.

The NICU nurses reported that all the girls were feeding relatively well, and only Briar Rose needed some extra assistance breathing, so she was spending some time with oxygen. The nurses hoped she'd be off it within a few days.

They could not take the girls home until they weighed at least five pounds and were breathing routinely on their own. The nurses said that based on their experience, this would take just a few weeks, and they would likely reach their goals one at a time, not all together. Though they were anxious to get them all home, the thought of getting to do that one at a time was comforting. Sliding slowly into a routine with three newborns would be good.

Harry had never left the hospital after giving birth without a baby--or two. Louis came alone to pick him up when the babies were just about thirty-six hours old, give or take. They spent some time with the babies in the NICU, holding them and promising them they'd be coming to the hospital to see them every day until they were cleared to go home.

Their days for the next couple of weeks took on a routine. Every morning, Harry and Louis would pick one or two of the girls to go with them to the hospital to visit the triplets. They would all get to hold the babies and spend time with them and, after three days, they were able to bottle-feed them.

They would all go home for lunch, then Harry and Louis would pick one or two different girls and go back to the hospital.

The time they all spent holding, feeding, and just getting to know the triplets was invaluable, and the girls would fight over whose turn it was. Lily began keeping track so everyone got a fair share of time with the babies.

The Saturday the triplets were nineteen days old began like what had become a normal day. It was Lily and Sophie's turn to visit the babies with their dads, and Gemma was coming along for good measure, anxious to see how her new nieces were doing.

When they arrived at the NICU, they were greeted with the beaming faces of the nurses they had grown to love.

It was a nurse called Genevieve who greeted them brightly. "Harry! Louis! Twins! And…." She met Gemma's gaze and raised her eyebrows.

"Auntie Gemma," Gemma supplied.

"Auntie Gemma," Genevieve repeated. "I have good news for all of you. This morning Miss Poppy tipped the scale at five pounds, three ounces. She is eating and breathing beautifully. So after you've taken time with Violet and Briar Rose, you can take Poppy home with you."

Lily and Sophie's eyes went round with surprise. "Really?" Sophie squeaked.

Genevieve nodded and smiled down at the excited eleven-year-old. "Really. And I think Miss Violet may not be far behind," she added.

Harry moved to give her a giant hug. "Thank you so much for all you've done for our babies."

"It's absolutely been our pleasure," Genevieve said, as she accepted a hug from Louis, too. "We'll miss them once they're all gone."

"That's sweet of you to say," Harry told her.

"Since we were sure you didn't bring any clothes for Poppy to wear home, we've picked out a few little outfits we keep on hand that would fit her. You can pick one to dress her in," Genevieve explained.

"Can we choose, Papa?" Lily requested. "Please?"

Louis nodded. "Sure."

Lily and Sophie followed Genevieve over to a counter in the back of the ward, while Harry went to check on Violet and Louis went to check on Briar Rose. The twins soon returned with a cute little purple onesie and a pink cap.

"Do you like it, Daddy?" Sophie asked, holding it up for Harry's inspection.

"I do," he assured her. He looked to Genevieve. "Can we dress her now?"

"You might want to do a diaper change while you do, but sure," she allowed. "You can use the changing table in the back."

"I'll feed Violet while you dress Poppy?" Harry suggested to Louis.

"Sure." Louis looked to Lily and Sophie. "Do you girls want to feed Briar Rose?"

"Yes," they answered in unison. It was still a little creepy when they did that, though Harry and Louis were used to it--mostly.

Before too long, Violet and Briar Rose had been fed and cuddled, and Poppy had been changed, dressed, fed, and cuddled.

Louis had had the foresight to call Lottie before he fed Violet. Lottie was at the house helping Gemma babysit Izzy, Brighton, and Lucy. Louis asked her to get one of the baby carriers they had waiting for the triplets and catch a Lyft to the hospital with it. She could take Lily and Sophie back with her in the Lyft, while Louis and Harry transported Poppy.

By the time they were ready to go, Lottie had arrived with the baby carrier. It was time for Operation Get All the Babies Home to begin.

Everyone kissed Violet and Briar Rose goodbye, then they placed Poppy in the carrier and strapped her into Harry and Louis' car for the very first time.

Poppy only had to spend two nights on her own in the nursery--now outfitted with three cribs. Violet was released from the NICU two days after Poppy. Three days after that, Briar Rose was cleared to go home.

The triplets' extended family were all eager to come over and help out--and Harry and Louis would absolutely take them up on that. However, they wanted the first night to just be the ten of them.

While Harry and Louis got the triplets ready for bed, Lily and Sophie helped put down Izzy, Brighton, and Lucy. The elder twins' maternal instincts were well-tuned.

Lily and Sophie came in to say goodnight to their newest baby sisters, then accepted kisses from Harry and Louis before heading to their room for the night.

Harry sighed as he looked down at Poppy, then Violet, then Briar Rose. "Eight girls, Louis," he whispered. "We have eight girls."

"I know," Louis whispered back.

"That's a lot of girls, Louis," Harry went on.

"It is," Louis agreed.

"We're way, way outnumbered." Harry straightened an imaginary wrinkle in the sheet underneath Violet.

"We have been since Izzy was born," Louis pointed out.

"That's true." Harry looked over at Louis. "But now there are four times the amount of them that there are of us."

"That's true, too," Louis said, "but I think we can handle it."

"Thank God our families are coming back to help tomorrow," Harry stated. "I have a feeling it's going to be a long night."

"I have a feeling you're right." Louis' smile was big even in the dim light of the room. "But they're all home. We finally have all of our girls under one roof."

Thrilled at that thought, Harry and Louis fell silent, and the only sound to be heard in the room was the gentle breathing of the tiny babies sleeping in their cribs.

Louis bumped Harry's shoulder with his own. "We should get some sleep while we can. They'll be awake before we know it."

"Good idea."

Harry pressed a kiss to the tips of his fingers, then used them to "kiss" each the triplets as gently as he could, then he followed Louis from the nursery and down the hall to their room.

Bone tired, the men only took the time to strip down to t-shirts and boxers before falling into bed.

Neither of them could have said whether they'd even had a chance to shut their eyes before the first baby triplet began to cry.

"And so it begins." Harry sighed in resignation. "I'll go."

Throwing back his half of the duvet, Louis said, "No, I'll go. You rest."

"I love you," was Harry's response.

Louis was barely out the door before the sound of another baby crying came over the monitor.

Without a word, Harry slipped out from under the duvet and followed Louis down the hall to the nursery, where Louis picked up a crying Briar Rose while Harry picked up a crying Poppy.

As soon as her sisters were being held, Violet decided to join in on the action.

Louis and Harry looked down helplessly at Violet before Harry--having had extensive practice with two sets of twins--expertly scooped her up, too.

"I still have an arm free," Louis proclaimed. "You could have had quadruplets!"

"Bite your tongue, Louis," Harry demanded. "Three was plenty."

"So, you're saying eight is enough?" Louis grinned even as the triplets continued to wail.

"No." Harry shook his head as he rocked Poppy and Violet back and forth. They began to quiet with the motion. "I'm saying eight is perfect."

End (22 August 2019)


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